Former Miami Dolphins head coach Brian Flores interviewed Friday with the Houston Texans and Chicago Bears.The Texans made Flores their first known interview since firing David Culley. The Bears, who dismissed Matt Nagy, previously interviewed former Philadelphia Eagles head coach Doug Pederson.Flores is expected to command interest from several teams after posting two winning records in three seasons with the Dolphins. Miami fired him amid internal tension between him and general manager Chris Grier.The 40-year-old Flores spent several seasons on Bill Belichick's staff with the New England Patriots before becoming a first-time head coach in Miami. He posted a 24-25 record with the Dolphins.Copyright © 2022 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

Kansas City Chiefs head coach Andy Reid announced Friday that running back Clyde Edwards-Helaire won't play against the Pittsburgh Steelers on Sunday due to a shoulder injury, according to ESPN's Field Yates.Edwards-Helaire hasn't played since Week 16.The 22-year-old, who topped 1,000 scrimmage yards as a rookie in 2020, was limited to 517 rushing yards (4.3 per carry) and four touchdowns this season. He also caught two scores.With Edwards-Helaire sidelined, Darrel Williams and Derrick Gore are expected to carry the load at running back for the Chiefs.Kansas City listed Williams as questionable Friday after he was limited at practice this week due to a toe injury. However, Reid expects the veteran runner to play, according to ESPN's Adam Schefter.Williams led KC with 558 yards and six touchdowns on the ground this season to go along with 47 receptions, 452 yards, and two scores.Gore enjoyed a career day when the Chiefs faced the Steelers in Week 16, notching 104 scrimmage yards.Copyright © 2022 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

Pittsburgh Steelers running back Najee Harris is questionable for Sunday's matchup against the Kansas City Chiefs with an elbow injury, according to Brooke Pryor of ESPN.Harris was a full participant at practice Friday after missing Thursday's session.The first-round rookie put on a show this season, ranking fourth among all players with 1,667 scrimmage yards. The Alabama product also had an NFL-high 381 touches to go along with 10 total touchdowns.Harris is the Steelers' only active player with an injury designation for Sunday.On Thursday, Pittsburgh opened its 21-day window to remove JuJu Smith-Schuster from injured reserve, but the wide receiver has yet to be activated.Copyright © 2022 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

One day after firing David Culley, Texans general manager Nick Caserio said he'll "forever be indebted" to the former Houston head coach for his efforts with the team, according to Brian T. Smith of the Houston Chronicle.Caserio addressed Culley's dismissal after just one season during a press conference Friday, adding, "These decisions are always difficult ... but, ultimately, that was the position I was placed in by the McNair family, to do the right thing for the organization."The Texans started the 2021 campaign with a 1-8 mark before going 3-5 to finish 4-13. They beat two teams down the stretch with winning records in the Tennessee Titans and Los Angeles Chargers.However, Caserio fired Culley, as well as offensive coordinator Tim Kelly, due to "philosophical differences," per the GM's statement Thursday.Caserio didn't go into detail about those differences Friday, only pointing out that there were things the team did and didn't do well, according to Aaron Wilson of Sports Talk 790.Despite rumors linking the Texans to New England Patriots offensive coordinator Josh McDaniels and linebackers coach Jerod Mayo for their vacant head coaching position, Caserio said no one "should assume anything," adding that Houston will look for the "best fit" for the franchise, per Smith.Meanwhile, Caserio provided no update on quarterback Deshaun Watson, who's seeking a trade while facing 22 civil lawsuits alleging sexual assault and inappropriate behavior."I think there are going to be a number of things we talk about this offseason," Caserio said, according to Wilson. "That particular situation, I don't think there is any more clarity today than there was here previously. But we're going to work through it, and, ultimately, we're going to do what we feel is best for the organization."Copyright © 2022 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

The Philadelphia Eagles are getting Miles Sanders back for their wild-card matchup against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers."Yes sir. Absolutely," the running back said Friday when asked whether he'll be available Sunday.Sanders didn't play in Philly's final two regular-season games due to a hand injury."The only thing that matters is that we're in the playoffs," he added. "The training staff gave me another opportunity to play this week, so I'm just thankful and excited to play with the guys this Sunday."The 24-year-old underwent surgery Dec. 27 and will wear some hand protection against the Buccaneers, per Geoff Mosher of Inside the Birds.However, Sanders isn't expected to have any limitations throughout the contest."I'm not going to be out there hesitant or timid," he said.Sanders led all Eagles running backs with 754 yards (5.5 per carry) through 12 appearances this season. Additionally, he amassed 26 receptions for 158 yards. However, Sanders has yet to score a touchdown.The Pittsburgh native also missed time this campaign due to an ankle injury.Copyright © 2022 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

Whether it's the Gasparilla Festival or a championship parade for their Buccaneers, the people of Tampa love to celebrate a pirate. Kenny Chesney once sang about life on the high seas in "Pirate's Song." Let's press play on that electro-country croon and see if we can turn the ocean to silver and the beaches to gold via the player prop market.Laughing in the devil's face, riding out the stormIf you can stare the NFL's most dangerous man for the last two decades in the face and live to tell about it, you've really accomplished something.With rain and winds in the forecast for Sunday, I'm going to fade Tom Brady's yardage total. Injuries have hampered this Tampa offense a bit, but Brady will have Leonard Fournette back. Playoff Lenny will see a lot of short targets in the passing game and numerous carries in the rain, which will result in slower drives down the field.The Eagles should have success moving the ball in smaller increments as well, as their offense is predicated on running the ball and throwing to Dallas Goedert. Fewer drives for both sides will mean fewer yards.It's possible the Buccaneers will struggle in ways similar to their shutout loss to New Orleans, though I'm terrified Brady will connect on a big play or two.Pick: Brady under 277.5 passing yardsA TD that's definitely going to happenThe sun might not be shining on anyone's face at Raymond James Stadium on Sunday, but things should be sunny for Rob Gronkowski. Gronk, who's admitted to feeling rejuvenated come playoff time in the latter stages of his career, might be singing "Ooh, what are these days?" since he won't need to stay in to block against an Eagles team that ranks 31st in sack percentage.I don't have to tell you that one of the great red-zone targets of this generation is live for a touchdown here.Pick: Gronkowski anytime touchdown (+100)A TD that probably won't happen ... but maybe it doesAs I discussed in the NFC Wild Card Weekend preview, the Eagles flipped their offensive strategy halfway through the regular season to a run-heavy approach, and their strong finish suggests there's "no reason to turn back."While their odds aren't as long as we normally would like in this space, we'll tweak the format on the idea that both Boston Scott and Jordan Howard could score in this game. Scott is capable of getting in the end zone via a dump-off, but he's also had goal-line carries. Meanwhile, Howard has stayed in the league by converting in short yardage. Miles Sanders hasn't been overly reliable this season, so I'm not willing to buy him at his short price.Pick: Scott anytime touchdown (+300), Howard anytime touchdown (+300)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 best prop bet that isn't on the board Saturday night is whether the broadcast crew will sneak a Goo Goo Dolls song into a commercial bumper. They always do during games in the band's hometown of Buffalo.10,000 Maniacs - Natalie Merchant's original band - are also revered in western New York, but while their name is a pretty good description of the Bills Mafia in all their tailgate glory, we'll use the Goo Goo Dolls to help us find props we hope won't lose."Big Machine"Josh Allen took over after the Bills' defeat to the Patriots on a windy Monday night - a game that saw Buffalo hand the ball off much more than it would've liked.Allen averaged 41.2 pass attempts and rushed the ball 9.4 times over the last five games, many of which were blowout wins for the Bills. The over on his passing yards, rushing yards, and anytime touchdown are all very interesting.However, instead of backing Allen's overs, we'll implicitly bet on his usage by fading the Bills' run game - or at least the version that doesn't end in a quarterback "Slide." While Buffalo may look like it's re-dedicated to the rushing attack, its running backs' carries over the last five games are actually deceiving.GAMERB CARRIES@TB7vsCAR23@NE15vsATL28vsNYJ24The three high-carry games came in comfortable home wins over bad teams with non-threatening offenses. Devin Singletary got the workload, which dragged his projected yardage total up to the mid-40s. However, Buffalo relied on Allen to take control in the two big-time games.Allen's 40 pass attempts and eight carries per game in last year's playoffs prove that when the Bills are in a must-win situation, they rely on their quarterback for "Better Days."In the teams' two meetings this campaign, the Patriots held Singletary to 10 carries for 36 yards and 12 carries for 39 yards. Is there a game script that would see Singletary get 20 or more carries Saturday? I don't think so.Pick: Singletary under 63.5 rushing yardsA TD that’s definitely going to happenAside from weather-related concerns, I like the over in this game. There's some value on numerous players as a result of expecting more scoring than the market does.Since we're facetiously guaranteeing touchdowns, we might as well take Damien Harris, who had three in a lost cause in the teams' last meeting and took a long one right down "Broadway" in the first matchup.Rhamondre Stevenson (+250) and Brandon Bolden (+360) present both hurdles and opportunities. Both could vulture a goal-line carry, but Bolden's also capable of catching a touchdown. With the possibility of two of the three scoring, adding them to your portfolio might be a good idea.Pick: Harris anytime touchdown (+120)A TD that probably won’t happen ... but maybe it doesOur random touchdown scorer might always seem a little "Dizzy," but the one game in which Jonnu Smith significantly out-snapped fellow tight end Hunter Henry was in the wind in Buffalo. With far from ideal weather on Saturday night, the veteran Smith can secure his status as Mac Jones' "January Friend."If Josh McDaniels deploys the Patriots' run-heavy offense, we can take an educated guess that Smith will be on the field - and thus "Give A Little Bit" of our regular season profits to a touchdown ticket that pays 5-1.Pick: Jonnu Smith anytime touchdown (+500)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.

While the side and total markets in the NFL playoffs are super tight, we can really have a good time in the player prop market.If you're new to this space, you need to know that "fun" is the name of the game that we've had success rocking and rolling with this season.James Brown, the "Godfather of Soul," wasn't from Cincinnati, but his legacy is cherished in the city. Joe Burrow isn't from Cincinnati either, but he can further endear himself to the city if he gets the Bengals their first playoff win since 1991."I Got You"Burrow's no stranger to making noise on the big stage, with a pair of incredible performances in the College Football Playoff against quality competition under his belt. It shows he can step up when the lights are bright.At home, the Bengals tend to start slowly, fall behind, and then look to Burrow in the huddle for help. Burrow's reply has always effectively been, "I Got You." With a full complement of offensive weapons, expect him to get the ball out of his hands early, allowing Ja'Marr Chase, Tee Higgins, and Tyler Boyd to take advantage of the Raiders' secondary.Joe Mixon was the player of the game in the teams' regular-season meeting in Las Vegas, but with Derek Carr able to keep pace here, the game script dictates Burrow will need to clear his passing yards total to secure a late win.Pick: Joe Burrow over 260.5 passing yardsA TD that’s definitely going to happenThis is my tongue-in-cheek bet - I can only sing "I feel good, I knew that I would" if it hits. While there are plenty of relatively high-probability touchdown scorers for this game, we'll look to a pass-catcher for the Bengals. Chase has the most touchdowns of the receiving corps and his odds reflect that.Higgins, on the other hand, has six touchdowns in 14 games, including four in the last six. He has a big body that can box out Raiders defenders in the end zone the way that Mike Williams did Sunday night. When the teams last met, Higgins had 10% more snaps than Boyd, so look for him to be a focal point for a score.Pick: Tee Higgins anytime touchdown (+130)A TD that probably won’t happen ... but maybe it doesIf you don't think I'm willing to go down the board for a random touchdown, "Try Me." Marcus Mariota might have an important role to play on an occasion when the underdog should be playing with house money and going deep into the playbook.Mariota took 12 snaps in the last two games - with an obvious role in short-yardage plays. If Las Vegas interim head coach Rich Bisaccia is brazen enough to announce that "Papa's Got A Brand New Bag" of tricks, Mariota could be worth a bet at a big payout number.If the Raiders get a goal-line opportunity, we'll be saying: "Please, Please, Please" put the backup quarterback in for a sneak attempt.Pick: Marcus Mariota anytime touchdown (+550)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 Associated Press released its 2021 All-Pro teams on Friday, and five players were named unanimous choices, including Los Angeles Rams wide receiver Cooper Kupp, Green Bay Packers wideout Davante Adams, and Indianapolis Colts running back Jonathan Taylor.The other two players who appeared in all 50 media members' teams were Pittsburgh Steelers linebacker T.J. Watt and Rams defensive tackle Aaron Donald.Donald has now earned first-team All-Pro nods for six straight seasons since he entered the NFL in 2014. The three-time Defensive Player of the Year was a unanimous selection in three of the last four years.Green Bay Packers star Aaron Rodgers, the MVP favorite, received 34 votes and was named the first-team quarterback for the second consecutive season. Tampa Bay Buccaneers quarterback Tom Brady got the second-team spot under center with 16 votes.The Packers, Colts, Ravens, Rams, and Cowboys had an NFL-high three first-team All-Pro picks each.First-team offensePOSPlayerTeamQBAaron RodgersPackersRBJonathan TaylorColtsTEMark AndrewsRavensWRCooper KuppRamsWRDavante AdamsPackersWRDeebo Samuel49ersLTTrent Williams49ersLGJoel BitonioBrownsCJason KelceEaglesRGZack MartinCowboysRTTristan WirfsBuccaneersFirst-team defensePOSPlayerTeamEDGET.J. WattSteelersEDGEMyles GarrettBrownsIDLAaron DonaldRamsIDLCameron HeywardSteelersLBMicah ParsonsCowboysLBDarius LeonardColtsLBDe'Vondre CampbellPackersCBTrevon DiggsCowboysCBJalen RamseyRamsSKevin ByardTitansSJordan PoyerBillsFirst-team special teamsPOSPlayerTeamKJustin TuckerRavensPA.J. ColeRaidersKRBraxton BerriosJetsPRDevin DuvernayRavensSpecial teamerJ.T. GraySaintsLong snapperLuke RhodesColtsSecond-team offensePOSPlayerTeamQBTom BradyBuccaneersRBVacantVacantTETravis KelceChiefsWRJustin JeffersonVikingsWRJa'Marr ChaseBengalsWRVacantVacantLTRashawn SlaterChargersLGQuenton NelsonColtsCCorey LinsleyChargersRGWyatt TellerBrownsRTLane JohnsonEaglesSecond-team defensePOSPlayerTeamEDGERobert QuinnBearsEDGEMaxx CrosbyRaidersIDLChris JonesChiefsIDLJeffery SimmonsTitansLBDemario DavisSaintsLBRoquan SmithBearsLBBobby WagnerSeahawksCBJ.C. JacksonPatriotsCBA.J. TerrellFalconsS*Budda BakerCardinalsS*Justin SimmonsBroncosS*Micah HydeBills* Each player received the same number of votesSecond-team special teamsPOSPlayerTeamKDaniel CarlsonRaidersPBryan AngerCowboysKRAndre RobertsChargersPRJakeem GrantBearsSpecial teamerMatthew SlaterPatriotsLong snapperJosh HarrisFalconsCopyright © 2022 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

San Francisco 49ers star Nick Bosa isn't intimidated by Dallas Cowboys offensive tackles Tyron Smith and La'el Collins, who are both tasked with stopping him on Wild Card Weekend."I think they're both very solid players," Bosa told reporters Thursday. "Obviously Tyron's had a Hall of Fame career, I think … but they're definitely beatable. There's tape on them getting beat and we're trying to do the same. They've definitely been in and out of the lineup a lot this year and the past years so, game plan is to make them work."Bosa ranked fourth in the NFL with 15.5 sacks in the regular season. He'll line up against Smith, who allowed only two sacks on 460 snaps in pass protection, and Collins, who allowed the same number of sacks on 454 such reps.Smith is on the injury report with knee/ankle issues but is expected to be ready for the playoff opener. He and Collins missed 11 games combined this season, though most of Collins' absences were for a suspension.Bosa will look to get into the backfield with Arden Key and Samson Ebukam - and occasionally Arik Armstead - rushing from the opposite side. Key and Ebukam combined for 11 sacks in the regular season, while Armstead posted six playing more in the interior.Copyright © 2022 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

The Houston Texans fired head coach David Culley after just one year in charge, the team announced Thursday."I'm disappointed, but it's part of the business," Culley said, according to NFL reporter Aaron Wilson. "I understand, and I move on."The Texans, who went 4-13 this season, also dismissed offensive coordinator Tim Kelly after he spent three campaigns in the role.Culley inked a five-year deal with the Texans during the 2021 offseason and has three more years of guaranteed money left, he told Wilson.Houston still owes Culley $17 million, a source told Tom Pelissero of NFL Network.Some Houston players were frustrated with Culley's in-game communication and decision-making, according to Pelissero.The Texans' four-win campaign arguably topped preseason expectations for on-field performance given their lack of star power.The 66-year-old Culley faced several challenges upon his arrival in Houston. Quarterback Deshaun Watson asked for a trade after his relationship with team ownership deteriorated, while franchise legend J.J. Watt requested his release (and now plays for the Arizona Cardinals).With veteran Tyrod Taylor and third-round rookie Davis Mills splitting starts at quarterback, Houston ranked 30th in points scored this season.Culley joined the Texans after previously serving as the Baltimore Ravens' assistant head coach, passing game coordinator, and wide receivers coach in 2019 and 2020. He's logged 28 years of NFL experience.Texans chairman and CEO Cal McNair said the search for a new head coach will begin immediately."I have entrusted (general manager) Nick Caserio to lead football performance and I have complete confidence he will find the best leader for our team," McNair said in a statement. " ... We look forward to continuing to build our roster and finding the right coach to lead us forward."Houston's next head coach inherits several team issues on and off the field, including the situation involving Watson. He didn't play in 2021 and is being investigated by the NFL and police for alleged sexual assault and misconduct. The Texans, who didn't pick until the third round last year, own the third overall selection in 2022.Eight teams now have head coaching vacancies for 2022.

The opening round of the NFL playoffs is exciting enough with six games to bet across three days, but it's also a thrilling time to dive into aggregate player props - especially with a narrower field to compete in.There are some screaming values this weekend, too, from a matchup nightmare in Cincinnati to two long-shot rushers in favorable situations. Here are our best bets for who will lead Wild Card Weekend in each of the main statistical categories. (All odds listed are shorter than 50-1.)Most passing yardsPLAYERODDSTom Brady+450Matthew Stafford+600Joe Burrow+600Patrick Mahomes+650Dak Prescott+750Josh Allen+1000Kyler Murray+1300Jimmy Garoppolo+1300Derek Carr+1600Mac Jones+2200Ben Roethlisberger+2200Jalen Hurts+3500Unlike most massive prop markets, where one or two big plays can anchor a long shot, there are only a handful of passers on the board who have a legitimate shot to throw for 300-plus yards. That's likely what it'll take to pace the field this weekend.Tom Brady is the only player on this list to average 300 yards or more this season, though the game script could work against him if the Buccaneers bury the Eagles early. Matthew Stafford had 280-plus yards in both games against the Cardinals, but the Rams quarterback is coming off his worst three-game stretch of the season.The answer here is Joe Burrow, who finished the season on a scintillating run with a combined 971 yards over his final two games. It wasn't just those two contests, either. The Bengals star has thrown for 300-plus yards in four of his last five games, while the Raiders are coming off a finale in which they ceded 355 yards through the air.If you're feeling adventurous, Derek Carr ranked sixth in passing yards per game (282.6) and should be able to exploit this Cincinnati defense, which allowed the second-most passing yards among playoff teams. There's no reason to price him as such a long shot here, so I'd recommend sprinkling some on both him and Burrow, though the latter is a much safer bet to cash.Best bet: Joe Burrow +600Most rushing yardsPLAYERODDSNajee Harris+750Joe Mixon+750Elijah Mitchell+750Devin Singletary+1200Josh Jacobs+1200Ezekiel Elliott+1200Sony Michel+1400Leonard Fournette+1400Chase Edmonds+1600Miles Sanders+1600James Conner+1600Damien Harris+1800Eno Benjamin+1800Jalen Hurts+2200Clyde Edwards-Helaire+2500Rhamondre Stevenson+3500Kyler Murray+4000Josh Allen+4000If you can grab Darrel Williams at 50-1 or better to pace the field - which could be found as of Thursday afternoon - stop reading and go do that now in light of the Clyde Edwards-Helaire injury news. Even at a shorter price, the Chiefs leading rusher should see the lion's share of carries against a Steelers front that ranks dead last in yards allowed (146.1) and yards per carry (5.0).Aside from that, this is really a muddled field at the top, with a handful of workhorse backs priced too short to justify the risk of game script working against them. The one player who seems like a sure bet for production is Damien Harris, who has bludgeoned the Bills for 100-plus yards twice already and will be a primary weapon for the conservative Patriots offense.With temperatures expected to be in the low single digits, this is feeling like a repeat - minus the blistering winds - of that weather-marred Monday night affair from Week 13. Harris is still dealing at too long of a price for what should be a busy day on the ground.Best bet: Damien Harris +1800Most receiving yardsPLAYERODDSCooper Kupp+380Tyreek Hill+1500Ja'Marr Chase+1500Travis Kelce+1500Mike Evans+1500Stefon Diggs+1800Tee Higgins+1800CeeDee Lamb+2000Amari Cooper+2000Diontae Johnson+2200Darren Waller+2200Deebo Samuel+2200Rob Gronkowski+2500Hunter Renfrow+3000Christian Kirk+3500Tyler Boyd+3500George Kittle+3500Devonta Smith+3500Cedrick Wilson+4000Brandon Aiyuk+4000A.J. Green+4000Zach Ertz+4000Jakobi Meyers+4000Odell Beckham+4000Dallas Goedert+4000Cooper Kupp is rightfully favored in this market after leading the NFL in receptions (145) and receiving yards per game (114.5), and he torched the Cardinals for 123 yards in Week 14. It's also puzzling to see Ja'Marr Chase at 15-1, given he combined for 391 yards over his last two full games.Still, the best value on the board is Darren Waller. The Raiders tight end finished with a season-high 116 yards in the Week 11 matchup with Cincinnati; since then, the Bengals surrendered huge games to George Kittle (151 yards) and Mark Andrews (125) and have allowed the fifth-most yards to opposing TEs on the season.There's risk there for Waller, who is just two weeks removed from a stint on the COVID-19 reserve list and is still battling injuries, but the upside is immense.Best bet: Darren Waller +2200C 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.

New England Patriots linebackers coach Jerod Mayo is expected to emerge as a leading candidate for the Houston Texans' head coaching job, sources told ESPN's Adam Schefter.The Texans fired David Culley on Thursday on the heels of a 4-13 campaign. He was one season into a five-year contract.Mayo, 35, joined the Patriots' coaching staff in 2019. He played eight seasons in New England, collecting two Pro Bowl nods and one Super Bowl ring before hanging up his cleats in 2016.Mayo played in New England at the same time Texans general manager Nick Caserio served as the Patriots director of player personnel. Mayo was a team captain for several seasons.The Texans hired a former Patriots assistant as their head coach once before, bringing aboard Bill O'Brien in 2014. O'Brien lasted six-plus seasons before being replaced on an interim basis by Romeo Crennel - another ex-Patriots assistant.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.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.In an effort to help you find trades that could improve your fantasy team, we present the Dynasty Trade Value Chart.You can use this chart to compare players and build realistic trade offers. Values are based on 12-team PPR leagues.Follow the links below to see the trade values for each position. Rookie rankings will be added in the coming weeks.Dynasty Rankings & Trade Values

Cardinals running back James Conner is likely a game-time decision for Monday's wild-card game against the Los Angeles Rams, Arizona head coach Kliff Kingsbury said Thursday, per Darren Urban of the team's official site.Conner injured his ribs in the regular-season finale loss to the Seattle Seahawks.While Kingsbury also described running back Chase Edmonds as a likely game-day call due to toe and rib issues, Edmonds said he plans to play.Conner was third in the NFL with 18 total touchdowns (15 rushing, three receiving) behind Jonathan Taylor and Austin Ekeler. The veteran led the team with 752 rushing yards, while Edmonds was second with 592.Arizona is set to travel to Los Angeles for the first-ever Monday wild-card matchup after failing to wrestle the NFC West crown from its division rivals in Week 18.Copyright © 2022 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

After a season in which the Panthers finished 5-12 despite ranking second in the league in yards allowed per game, head coach Matt Rhule is coming under scrutiny for Carolina's failure to address its offense.The Panthers ranked 29th in points per game and 30th in total offensive yards after they passed up on prospects like quarterbacks Justin Fields and Mac Jones, as well as offensive lineman Rashawn Slater, in the 2021 draft.But Rhule made clear Thursday on Sports Radio WFNZ that he isn't solely responsible for Carolina's struggles."I'm not sitting in my office up in some tower running the entire football operation, making the draft, doing the free-agent stuff," he said.However, in particular, Rhule defended Carolina's decision to use its eighth overall pick on a defender, cornerback Jaycee Horn, instead of someone like Slater, who's set to start in this year's Pro Bowl."Rashawn hadn't played the year before," Rhule said. "He wasn't (the) ideal tackle size, there were a lot of questions of, 'Hey, is he a guard?' Same thing with Alijah Vera-Tucker. It was really, 'Hey, are you going to take a guy who is a guard at this number?'"Rhule added: "Passing on Rashawn, that's something I know people bring up. I just hope you guys understand from me when I walk in that locker room, Jaycee Horn has to look at me and say, 'Hey, that guy believes in me.' And we thought he was on his way to Defensive Rookie of the Year (before his injury)."Rhule also explained Carolina's decision to trade for Sam Darnold, who threw for nine touchdowns and 13 interceptions in 2021, instead of drafting Fields or Jones."We just kinda put Sam in that group with those young quarterbacks, so we made that decision, and time will tell," Rhule said. "I think Sam looked really good for three games. I think Sam's last game, he played really well."However, Rhule made it clear that the Panthers' season wasn't good enough."Year 2, the record is the same, it's 5-12. It absolutely infuriates me and pisses me off," he said.Rhule added: "When I say that the process is working, I don't mean that we had a good year this year, and I don't think anyone shouldn't be angry about this year."Copyright © 2022 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

After a disastrous late-season collapse put Carson Wentz's future with the Indianapolis Colts in question, general manager Chris Ballard declined to commit to the quarterback for 2022 on Thursday."At the time (of the trade), we felt it was the right decision," said Ballard, according to Zak Keefer of The Athletic. "I'm not going to make a comment on who is going to be here next year and who isn't. ... I thought Carson did some good things, and I thought there are some things he needs to do a lot better."The Colts failed to seal a wild-card spot in the final two weeks of the campaign. They lost to the Las Vegas Raiders in Week 17 before the Jacksonville Jaguars - who previously had two wins - convincingly beat Indianapolis in the regular-season finale.Colts owner Jim Irsay made it clear the team will undergo significant changes Monday. However, he said the club won't part ways with Ballard or head coach Frank Reich.Indianapolis obtained Wentz in the offseason from the Philadelphia Eagles in exchange for a 2022 first-round pick and a 2021 third-round pick. After a poor final year with the Eagles, Wentz had a solid debut campaign until the last two weeks.He completed just 59% of his passes for 166.5 yards per game and had two touchdowns against one interception versus the Raiders and Jaguars."Make the layups," Ballard said he told Wentz in a meeting after the season, according to Stephen Holder of The Athletic. "The throw in Arizona was incredible. Maybe only two or three other QBs can make it. But make the layups."The quarterback carries a $15-million dead-money hit in 2022, and Indy's lack of draft capital will likely limit its ability to find a replacement. Still, Ballard won't shy away from exploring all options."I think we'll look at everything," he said, per Holder. "There are solutions. Sometimes they're ideal, sometimes they're not. But we'll look at everything."The GM didn't hold back when asked about the Colts' inability to make the postseason."We embarrassed ourselves," said Ballard, according to Keefer. "Embarrassed our owner. Embarrassed our city."Copyright © 2022 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

The Tampa Bay Buccaneers signed wide receiver John Brown to their practice squad ahead of the playoffs, the team announced Thursday.The Bucs are looking to defend their Super Bowl title with a severely diminished receiving corps following Chris Godwin's season-ending ACL injury and Antonio Brown's release.The 31-year-old Brown split time with the Denver Broncos and Jacksonville Jaguars in 2021, appearing in four games but failing to register a catch.The speedster previously racked up 1,518 yards and nine touchdowns, including a 1,000-yard campaign in 2019, during a two-year stint with the Buffalo Bills.Brown, who started his career with the Arizona Cardinals in 2014 as a third-round pick, will join a group headlined by Pro Bowler Mike Evans, Breshad Perriman, Scotty Miller, and Tyler Johnson.Copyright © 2022 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

Former NFL linebacker Bart Scott offered some interesting advice to Josh Allen ahead of the Buffalo Bills' wild-card matchup against the New England Patriots.While discussing the game Thursday on ESPN's "Get Up," Scott recommended Allen take Viagra to help him deal with the frigid temperatures expected in Orchard Park, New York."Take some Viagra before the game, baby," Scott said, according to TMZ Sports. "That'll get that circulation going right."Scott added that he knew of a lot of players who took Viagra during his playing days."Viagra was first a heart medicine, right? So, it builds up circulation, which makes sure it gets circulation to the feet," he said. "I swear, I'm not trying to be funny."The Bills and Patriots will kick off their wild-card game Saturday at 8:15 p.m. ET. The current weather forecast calls for a high of 10 degrees Saturday with a low of two degrees.Copyright © 2022 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

As mentioned in the AFC preview, the nice part of handicapping games in the playoffs is we don't have to worry about motivation or lookaheads. But in turn, with a season's worth of data available, these lines are tight as a drum - bet into their appropriate place within hours of the market opening.With so few games to choose from, it's time to get creative to find value. Let's take a look at the NFC matchups and draw up a plan of attack before we dive into the player prop market later in the week.Eagles @ Buccaneers (-8.5, 46)The weather in Tampa being worse than Buffalo this weekend might be the biggest upset we'll see this round. Rain and wind are in the forecast for Raymond James Stadium, and how that might affect the handicap of this game is of critical importance.The first matchup between the Eagles and Buccaneers came before the Philadelphia coaching staff found the team's offensive identity. Miles Sanders was the only running back to get a carry in the game, and he had just nine. One week later, they started to spread carries around - featuring Jalen Hurts, Sanders, Kenneth Gainwell, Boston Scott, and Jordan Howard - and it sparked the offense en route to a 7-2 finish.WEEKS RUSH YARDS PER GAME3-689.57-18184.8The Bucs carried over their reputation as a staunch run defense from their Super Bowl season, giving up 60, 55, 76, -1, and 39 yards before the Week 6 matchup against Philadelphia. However, after the win over the Eagles, it hasn't been the same as they've allowed 113 yards per game. One of those included a 109-yard effort by Josh Allen, another mobile quarterback.The Eagles have quietly turned around their defense as well, finishing in the top 10 against the pass. However, those numbers are built on the second half of the season, where the Eagles didn't face a quarterback anywhere near the quality of Tom Brady.How to bet the gameIn the AFC edition of this Wild Card Weekend preview, we pinpointed the Raiders +11.5 as a teaser leg of value, even after the market pounded the point spread into place. Now you have the second half of that, as Tampa is the best teaser leg on the board, as mentioned in this week's teaser article.My numbers make the Eagles a 7.5-point underdog, so there's limited value here. With weather that may favor Philadelphia, I still trust the Bucs to get it done without laying over a touchdown.Pick: Buccaneers -2.5 (teaser leg)49ers @ Cowboys (-3, 51)The 49ers are fully capable of going on a run, and the fact they need to do so away from home shouldn't concern them, considering they went 6-2 on the road and have no discernible home-field advantage. Meanwhile, anytime a respectable team visited Dallas this season, they've left with a win.The Cowboys' defense will have trouble with San Francisco's perimeter run game, which is designed to take the starch out of an opposing pass rush. At the same time, the Dallas secondary - which struggled with the Raiders' crossing routes - will have its hands full with the 49ers' targets inside the hash marks.How to bet the gameAs the shortest underdog on the board, the 49ers are obviously live to win. However, strictly speaking, with my numbers making the Cowboys just slightly less than a 3-point favorite, the line and moneyline opened at fair prices.We are starting to see both creep up, and I'm hoping to take San Francisco at +3.5. Either way, I will start a moneyline rollover that will likely be more profitable than taking them to win the NFC at +1100.Here are my moneyline projections for their most likely route to the Super Bowl:OPPONENT MONEYLINE@DAL+145@GB+180@TB+180Rolling over a parlay for that route adds up to +1900, assuming the worst-case opponents. With Kyle Shanahan's run game able to give Green Bay trouble, I would bet on San Francisco at Lambeau anyway.Finally, if something happened to put the "wild" in Wild Card Weekend, or if the Rams knocked off the Bucs in the divisional round, the 49ers would get a matchup against a Los Angeles team they've beaten six straight times.Pick: San Francisco +3, ML (+145)Cardinals @ Rams (-4, 49.5)The start of the season for the "Red Sea" provided nothing more than a red herring, as we saw their regular season end the same way head coach Kliff Kingsbury's seasons often do - with numerous losses.I've been hard on the Cardinals all season, even before they lost to the Lions, beat-up Colts, and a Seahawks team playing out the string. The offense just doesn't have the big-play punch without DeAndre Hopkins.After a three-game losing streak in high-profile games, the Rams were being sold by bettors. But a desperation drive by the 49ers was the only thing that prevented Los Angeles from ending the season with a six-game winning streak.How to bet the gameI'm trying not to overcomplicate the wild-card round finale. We may only get one chance to fade Kingsbury, and I'll take my chances that Los Angeles' all-in approach to its roster will manifest in an impressive performance. That could send a message to the rest of the league that the veteran Rams might be ready to win it all, even if that's a red herring as well.Pick: Rams -3.5 (-115 or better)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 requested to interview Philadelphia Eagles vice president of football operations Catherine Raiche for their vacant general manager position, NFL Network's Mike Garafolo reports.This is believed to be the first GM interview request for a woman in NFL history, according to Garafolo.Raiche joined the Eagles in 2019 as a football operations/player personnel coordinator before being promoted to her current role in May 2021. She previously worked in the front offices of the Canadian Football League's Montreal Alouettes (2015-17) and Toronto Argonauts (2017-19).Susan Tose Spencer was the NFL's first female general manager, taking on the role with the Eagles from 1983-85 after being promoted by her father, former owner Leonard Tose.Minnesota reportedly also requested to interview Eagles director of player personnel Brandon Brown, who's been in Philadelphia for five years and was promoted to his current job in 2021.The Vikings fired general manager Rick Spielman and head coach Mike Zimmer on Monday.Copyright © 2022 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

It's been 20 years since Tom Brady made his first career postseason start against the Raiders on that famed snowy field at Foxboro Stadium. That instant classic marked the first of his record 45 playoff starts and 34 wins, and it sparked the Patriots' first Super Bowl run and subsequent dynasty.It's also the last time a quarterback led his team to a title in the same year as his postseason debut. Since then, 65 quarterbacks have tried (and failed) to emulate Brady's epic run. The majority haven't made it past their first start, which is bad news for this year's class of playoff newcomers.Since the NFL changed its postseason format in 2002, quarterbacks making their first career playoff start are 25-40 against the spread (38.5%), winning just 35.4% of those games outright. The first-year playoff curse has afflicted QBs of all statures, too, from future Hall of Famers Drew Brees and Aaron Rodgers to journeymen Matt Moore and Matt Cassel, and dozens in between.Five of the 12 starting quarterbacks in the wild-card round - Joe Burrow, Derek Carr, Jalen Hurts, Mac Jones, and Kyler Murray - will be making their postseason debuts this weekend. That is tied for the most in one weekend since that 2002 realignment. With Burrow and Carr facing off on Saturday, we're guaranteed at least one win from this group, but history suggests that could be the only one.A harsh welcomeNo matter how you slice it, quarterbacks have traditionally struggled in their first taste of postseason football - much to the delight of those betting against them.As mentioned above, first-time playoff starters have covered the spread just 38.5% of the time, with identical hit rates in the wild-card round (20-32 ATS) and divisional round (5-8 ATS). And while those passers have actually been a better bet on the road (11-15 ATS) than at home (14-25 ATS), both have been a losing bet overall and own an outright win percentage of roughly 35%.Here's a look at how quarterbacks have performed in their first playoff start, broken down by four traditional betting spots:SPOTATSSUMARGINRATINGHome favorites9-1712-14+2.482.1Home underdogs5-82-11-8.867.3Away favorites2-23-1+6.087.1Away underdogs9-126-15-6.869.1Unsurprisingly, none of the four spots netted better than a 50% success rate - with most falling well short of that - and all were littered with brutal performances through the air. Even in the case of home favorites, those teams often won in spite of their inexperienced signal-caller; two of those four QBs finished with fewer than 10 completions and 150 passing yards, and three completed fewer than 60% of their passes.The most relevant takeaway might be the performance of road underdogs, which will apply for four of the five starters this weekend. In short, the numbers aren't pretty. Fifteen of those 21 quarterbacks at the helm finished with a passer rating below that season's league average, and 11 of those 21 teams lost by double digits.First-time playoff starters were particularly dreadful in the mid-2010s, managing a 6-14 ATS record from 2013-18 with a paltry 16.2 points per contest. Recent history has been more favorable: Over the past two seasons, such passers are 5-2 ATS - including 3-0 ATS a year ago - and have led their teams to nearly 10 points more per game (25.1) and four outright wins.Will 2022 be different?This year's group of postseason rookies - and one actual rookie - presents one of the more fascinating crops we've seen in recent years. Three of the five played in the national championship game in college, while the other two have played at an MVP level for stretches of their NFL careers. If any collection of postseason novices can rise to the occasion, it's this one.Still, this is a new stage for all five quarterbacks this weekend, and each has historical trends working against him.Carr will be just the seventh 30-year-old to make his playoff debut in the last two decades; the previous six went 2-4 ATS and were outscored by 10.5 points per game. Former No. 1 picks, like Burrow and Murray, have gone 3-6 ATS in that stretch with six losses by at least 13 points. Rookies have managed a 5-8 ATS record, while first-time playoff starters aged 23 or younger have gone 5-11 ATS, which is bad news for youngsters Jones (23) and Hurts (23).We've seen newcomers succeed before, but even the best quarterbacks of the past 20 years have succumbed to the pressure of their postseason debut. And if tradition holds, these passers' first stints may not last for long.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.

While Aaron Rodgers has been able to play despite a fractured toe, the Green Bay Packers quarterback is hopeful he won't have to worry about the injury next week.Rodgers fractured his toe in November. He has missed weeks of practice because of the ailment and initially had to get regular pain-killing injections to be able to play."I haven't taken (a pain-killing injection) in a number of weeks now, so that's been the most encouraging thing," Rodgers said Wednesday, according to ESPN's Rob Demovsky. " ... It was just a pretty standard shot in the toe, very painful, a numbing agent. That helped get me through the games. The whole goal was to be able to not have to do that."So I'm feeling good, practiced today, close to 100% but think I should be 100% by next week."The Packers finished the regular season with an NFL-best 13-4 record, clinching a bye in the wild-card round for the third straight year.Though the injury might have bothered Rodgers, it doesn't seem like it affected his play. The reigning NFL MVP passed for 4,115 yards and 37 touchdowns against only four interceptions this season to go along with a league-high 111.9 passer rating.Copyright © 2022 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

While there are high expectations for Kyle Murray's playoff debut against the Los Angeles Rams on Monday, Arizona Cardinals head coach Kliff Kingsbury believes his quarterback will live up to the hype."I think this is what he's been waiting for for three years," Kingsbury said Wednesday, according to Josh Weinfuss of ESPN. "He's a guy who wants to be playing for something and knows he's playing for something."This is his first shot at the playoffs, and I expect him to probably play the best game of his career. I know he's going to give it everything he's got."Murray, the first overall pick in 2019, went 13-18-1 in his first two NFL seasons. This campaign, he helped make Arizona one of the league's most competitive teams, posting a 9-5 record as a starter and helping it clinch its first playoff berth since 2015."It's been a grind, three years of trying to build this thing to get into the playoffs, day in and day out - a lot of ups and downs," Kingsbury added. "I know he's just looking forward to this opportunity and he'll give everything he's got."Murray was an early MVP favorite after starting the campaign with a 7-1 run. However, the 24-year-old suffered an ankle injury in Week 8 that sidelined him for three games. His production hasn't been the same since:WeeksComp. % Yds per game TD passes INT Rate TD runs1-872.6284.5177110.4313-1865.3251.87389.32The Cardinals and Rams split their regular-season series. Murray tossed two touchdowns with no interceptions in their Week 4 meeting before struggling in Week 14 with no touchdowns and two picks.Copyright © 2022 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

When it comes to betting markets, the NFL's 13 playoff contests are like championship games: We don't have to concern ourselves with the ebb and flow of the season, where motivation or urgency can come into question.We have a season's worth of data, making every spread and total tight as a drum - within hours of Sunday's soft openers, the lines are bet into their appropriate place.With so few games to choose from, it's time to get creative to find value. Let's take a look at the AFC matchups and draw up a plan of attack before we dive into the player prop market later in the week.Raiders @ Bengals (-5.5, 48.5)My ratings make the Bengals just over 4-point favorites. I'm higher on the Raiders than the market is - even though I have Las Vegas slightly below league average.For all the excitement over the start of the Joe Burrow era, the Bengals' tendency to get down early at home is troublesome. Cincinnati started roughly and needed to battle back against the Jaguars, Browns, Chargers, 49ers, and Chiefs. They tied the game or took the lead four times and won twice. However, the request here is to win by more than a touchdown.Few think much of the Raiders despite their wins over the Colts and Chargers to steal a playoff spot. Although Derwin James subdued Darren Waller in the latter's first game back from injury last week, expect Derek Carr to get the ball to him this time. Meanwhile, Las Vegas' pass rush will give Burrow trouble.How to bet the gameThe line moved under +6 from its +6.5 open, so I can't recommend a side. If you think there's volatility in a matchup between two franchises that haven't won a playoff game in 20 years, the Raiders at +200 on the moneyline may be interesting.However, for a more conservative and value-oriented start to the postseason, the point spread move toward Las Vegas didn't take away any teaser value so we'll pair the Raiders with an NFC team in a 2-team teaser.Pick: Raiders +11.5 (teaser leg)Patriots @ Bills (-4, 43.5)"How's the weather?"That's not just the first thing you ask mom in your weekly phone call. The weather's what many bettors first consider when approaching this game in Buffalo given how important it was in the Patriots' win earlier this season.Saturday night in Orchard Park will be cold, but we won't see those same wind conditions. Even if we did, I think the Bills are better prepared and their quarterback is more suited to the cold than the public gives him credit for after Bill Belichick pulled the wool cap over Sean McDermott's eyes the first time around.How to bet the gameNo, the line isn't too high. In the teams' meeting in New England, the line closed at pick'em. Shift it two points for home-field advantage on either side, and that's why we're at -4. That doesn't make me want to fade the coaching GOAT though, it just means the line is fair.Concerns over the weather have caused too much of an adjustment. The Bills will be able to move the ball the way they did in Foxborough, Massachusetts, while the Patriots will be able to manufacture points as they always do. A 24-20 Bills win wouldn't shock me, but both teams could have more points than that. Being able to kick field goals this time will help as well.Pick: Over 43.5Steelers @ Chiefs (-12.5, 45.5)Instead of a duel between Justin Herbert and Patrick Mahomes, we have to accept another awkward watch of the near-retired Ben Roethlisberger. Once we get over that, we can break this game down and find some value with the Steelers. However, at +12.5, the line is two points off where it should be (+10.5).These two teams trend in opposite directions within a 60-minute game. The Chiefs' offense has hummed in the scripted portions of the game plan - since getting kicked around in Tennessee, their first-quarter scores are as follows:GAME1Q SCOREvs. KC7-0vs. GB7-0@ LV7-0vs. DAL9-3vs. DEN10-0@ LAC7-0vs. PIT14-0@ CIN14-7@ DEN7-7That last game against the Broncos was 36 seconds away from a 7-0 first quarter. Meanwhile, the Steelers averaged four points in the first half of their last eight games while giving up 14.6 points.How to bet the gameGiven that first-half discrepancy and the lack of relevant numbers that the inflated Chiefs line captures, there's no reason to bet the Steelers before the game begins. Despite early struggles, Pittsburgh still won three of its last eight, while Kansas City is just 5-4 against the spread when getting those early leads. I'm taking the Chiefs early and Steelers late Sunday night.Pick: Chiefs 1Q -3.5, Steelers in-game +14.5 or betterMatt 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 co-owner John Mara admitted that the 2021 season is the most embarrassed he's ever been regarding the state of the franchise."Honestly, I would have to say yes," he said Wednesday, according to SNY's Ralph Vacchiano. "Yes, it is. I kept thinking during the season we had hit rock bottom, then each week it got a little worse."He added: "It just got to the point where we dug a hole so deep, I didn't see a clear path getting out of it unless we started all over again."Mara was speaking at a press conference two days after general manager Dave Gettleman retired and one day after the Giants fired head coach Joe Judge. Co-owner Steve Tisch was not on hand.New York finished last in the NFC East with a 4-13 record in 2021, dropping its last six contests. Judge led the team to a 10-23 mark during his two-year tenure with no playoff appearances. The Giants have posted five straight losing seasons.Judge defended the team and franchise in an 11-minute rant following a lopsided loss to the Chicago Bears in Week 17.While the speech did not go over well with Mara, he said "a culmination of things" led to Judge's firing rather than one specific thing."I still think there is a good coach inside Joe Judge," Mara said.He said he's prioritizing flexibility for the Giants' next GM by allowing them to be involved in hiring the next head coach.As for personnel and roster decisions such as whether to exercise quarterback Daniel Jones' fifth-year option, Mara said those choices will be up to the GM and coach, unless he overrules them due to issues with off-field conduct."The only two voices that matter at the end of the day are the head coach and the general manager," he said, according to USA Today's Art Stapleton.Copyright © 2022 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

Ben Roethlisberger understands the daunting task his Pittsburgh Steelers face in their wild-card matchup against the Kansas City Chiefs, but he's not panicking.Instead, he's embracing the Steelers' improbable position after they reached the postseason as the AFC's final seed."I would assume, as a group, you understand that we probably aren't supposed to be here," the veteran quarterback said Wednesday. "We probably are not a very good football team. Out of 14 teams, I think, are in, we're probably No. 14. We're double-digit underdogs in the playoffs, so let's just go play and have fun and see what happens."Roethlisberger added: "We're going to the ... No. 1 team. I know they're not the No. 1 seed, but they're the No. 1 team that has won the AFC the last two years, arguably the best team in football.""We don't have a chance. So, let's just go in and play and have fun."The 39-year-old has been in a similar position before. He won his first Super Bowl in 2005 when Pittsburgh beat the Cincinnati Bengals, Indianapolis Colts, and Denver Broncos as the AFC's sixth seed before defeating the Seattle Seahawks for the Lombardi Trophy.But Roethlisberger doesn't see many similarities between the two situations, though he offered that "anything can happen" in the postseason."I don't want to take anything away from this team, but that was a pretty good football team. We had some Hall of Famers on it," he said. "Not that we don't have some really good football players here, but we have a long way to go to compare ourselves to that team, in my opinion."The Steelers suffered a blowout 36-10 loss to the Chiefs in Week 16. Kansas City quarterback Patrick Mahomes completed all but seven of his passes for 258 yards and three scores in the win.Roethlisberger led Pittsburgh to a 9-7-1 record in what could potentially be his final NFL campaign. He finished the regular season with 22 touchdown passes to 10 interceptions for an 86.8 passer rating.Copyright © 2022 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

Fans couldn't get enough NFL football in 2021.The NFL averaged 17.1 million viewers across television and digital platforms this season, the highest regular-season average viewership since 2015, the league announced Wednesday.The figure represents a 10% viewership increase from the 2020 campaign. In total, fans watched 370 billion minutes of NFL football over the 2021 season.NFL games accounted for the top 16 telecasts in 2021 and 91 of the top 100, according to the league.No contest drew more viewers than the Las Vegas Raiders-Dallas Cowboys clash on Thanksgiving; 40.8 million people tuned in for the game.The Cowboys were involved in five of the NFL's top 10 most-watched games of the season:Game Week Network ViewersRaiders vs. Cowboys12CBS40.8MCowboys vs. Chiefs11FOX28.7MBrowns vs. Packers16FOX/NFLN28.6MBears vs. Lions12FOX28.2MBuccaneers vs. Patriots4NBC27.2MCardinals vs. Cowboys17FOX26.8MRams vs. Packers12FOX25.2MCowboys vs. Buccaneers1NBC25.2Packers vs. Chiefs9FOX25.0MCowboys vs. Chargers2CBS25.0MThe 2021 campaign was the first to feature a 17-game schedule. It was also filled with down-to-the-wire action, with a record 34 contests decided by game-winning scores on the final play.The Tennessee Titans and Green Bay Packers finished the regular season as the top seeds in their respective conferences.Copyright © 2022 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

Veteran safety Eric Weddle is coming out of retirement to play for the Los Angeles Rams in the postseason, his agent told NFL Network's Ian Rapoport.Weddle retired during the 2020 offseason after a single campaign with the Rams. He failed to record an interception but notched 108 tackles over 16 starts in 2019.The 37-year-old is set to help an L.A. secondary that recently lost safety Jordan Fuller for the remainder of the campaign due to an ankle injury.Weddle made a name for himself with the then-San Diego Chargers over the first nine seasons of his career. He intercepted 19 passes, including a league-high seven in 2011.He later spent three seasons with the Baltimore Ravens from 2016-2018 - earning a Pro Bowl nod in every campaign - before linking up with the Rams in 2019.The six-time Pro Bowler rejoins L.A. ahead of its wild-card game against the Arizona Cardinals on Monday night.Copyright © 2022 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

After 18 weeks of teaser talk, you know we're looking for games that allow for a 6-point teaser to capture the key numbers of -3, -6, and -7. In a regular-season week, there might be double-digit options, or there could be just a couple.As we turn the page to the playoffs and Wild Card Weekend, we have to get a little creative or skillfully time our entry point with just six games on the board.Not all teaser legs are created equal. The biggest mistake novice bettors make is teasing through zero because they're wasting valuable price points on a number the game won't land on: a tie. So, how can we maximize the six-point move? How can we get what we're paying for at -270 per leg?By far the best number move available is Sunday's first game between the Eagles and Buccaneers. Let's take a look at the alternative line market to see why:SPREADODDS-8.5-110-8-125-7.5-130-7-145-6.5-163-6-175-5.5-190-5-200-4.5-205-4-210-3.5-230-3-280-2.5-320The alternative spread gives you the Buccaneers under a field goal at -320. Obviously, teasing Tampa down from -8.5 to -2.5 at a price of -270 is a much better option.If that leg is our core component of a teaser, we need to come up with a second leg, and that's something that will be a little trickier this weekend. Let's look at the other matchups, with all but one falling in the range from a spread perspective.Teaser basketGAMESPREADBEST LEGLV@CINCIN -5.5LV +11.5NE@BUFBUF -4NE +10SF@DALDAL -3SF +9PIT@KCKC -12.5KC -6.5ARZ@LARLAR -4ARZ +10Four of the five other options to choose from in the teaser basket are games lined under a touchdown, and since the first rule of the teaser is to not tease through zero, there's only one option from the above slate. What's left is a decision about which game is most likely to be close.It's been 31 years since the Bengals won a playoff game, and it's difficult to see them snapping that with a blowout. They've also had trouble starting hot at home, especially in the second half of the season. The 5.5-point spread has already moved toward the Raiders from a 6.5 open. That move across a key number means lost value on the Raiders against the spread, but the 6-point tease from +12.5 to +11.5 simply means losing a 12-point Bengals win - a number unlikely to be a factor.The Saturday night and Monday night games both sit at a spread of four points. By teasing the underdog Patriots and Cardinals, you do cross some key numbers, but if the game lands on a +10, it's a push. Should either the Bills or Rams get bet up to 4.5 points, capturing +10.5 would be great.The 49ers are currently 3-point underdogs to the Cowboys. I'd rather just take the 3 points with San Francisco at a -110 price point currently, but if the line fell to +2.5, it's a good market indicator the game will be a toss-up, meaning a +8.5 teaser leg is a good idea.Lastly, the Chiefs are a big favorite, and I loathe to tease a number like that down, even if you can scoop up -7. As much as the Steelers are likely overmatched, this is still the playoffs, and a close win for the Chiefs will be fine by them.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 New York Giants fired head coach Joe Judge, the team announced Tuesday.Judge leaves New York with a 10-23 record - including 4-13 in 2021 - and no playoff appearances over two seasons."(Co-owner) Steve (Tisch) and I both believe it is in the best interest of our franchise to move in another direction," team president John Mara said in a statement.The Giants struggled on both sides of the ball in 2021, ranking 31st and 23rd in scoring on offense and defense, respectively. New York has averaged 16.3 points per game over the last two seasons."I said before the season started that I wanted to feel good about the direction we were headed when we played our last game of the season," Mara added. "Unfortunately, I cannot make that statement, which is why we have made this decision."Judge's exit comes just one day after the retirement of Giants general manager Dave Gettleman. Mara said he plans to find a new GM before hiring Judge's replacement.The 40-year-old Judge joined the Giants in 2020 after spending several seasons as the New England Patriots special teams coordinator. New York mostly disappointed since his arrival and failed to show much improvement with him on the sideline.There were high expectations for the Giants entering 2021 after they signed several players in free agency, including Kenny Golladay, the top receiver available.The Giants' next head coach will join a team that has struggled mightily over the last decade. New York has made just one playoff appearance since 2012 and posted only two winning seasons over that span.New York is also facing questions at quarterback, as Daniel Jones struggled under Judge. The 2019 sixth overall pick has tossed only 21 touchdowns against 17 interceptions since 2020.Judge is the third consecutive Giants coach to be fired after two seasons or less after Ben McAdoo (2016-17) and Pat Shurmur (2018-19).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.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 get an early look at his 2022 rankings. Rookies, PPR, and standard rankings will be added in future updates.Half PPR

Baker Mayfield is heading into a make-or-break season in 2022 after the Cleveland Browns missed the playoffs and the quarterback endured a significant regression.Browns general manager Andrew Berry said Tuesday he expects Mayfield, who played through a shoulder injury for most of the campaign, to return to form and re-establish himself as the team's franchise player."We fully expect Baker to be our starter and to bounce back," Berry said Tuesday, according to Scott Petrak of BrownsZone. "Generally speaking, we're looking forward to Baker obviously getting healthy in the offseason and then putting (in) good work through the spring and with his coaches for having the type of season that we know he can have."Mayfield suffered a torn labrum in his non-throwing shoulder in Week 2 and a fracture in the shoulder in Week 6. He underwent surgery last week.The 26-year-old finished the year with career lows in yards (3,010), passing touchdowns (17), yards per attempt (7.2), and QBR (35.3). He also took the most sacks of his career (43) despite not playing in three games.Berry was noncommittal when asked if he will consider adding competition for Mayfield."We don't ... say we're just going to target certain positions," Berry said. "We scout and look at player availability as if we have an expansion team. So the way we go about adding competition or improving the talent base in the roster is largely independent of who's currently on the team."Mayfield, the No. 1 pick in the 2018 NFL Draft, will play on the final year of his rookie contract next season.The quarterback reportedly had issues with head coach Kevin Stefanski's play-calling during the season and wanted him to surrender those duties. However, Mayfield denied the report and is apparently on the same page as Stefanski after they met following the end of the campaign.Copyright © 2022 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

Former Miami Dolphins head coach Brian Flores will interview with the Chicago Bears for their head coaching job, a source told NFL Network's Tom Pelissero.The meeting marks Flores' first confirmed interview since the Dolphins shockingly fired him Monday after three seasons.Flores is one of many coaching candidates the Bears have lined up. They reportedly also intend to interview former Philadelphia Eagles head coach Doug Pederson and have submitted requests to speak with Dallas Cowboys defensive coordinator Dan Quinn, among others.Flores led the Dolphins to a 9-8 record in 2021 after winning eight of their last nine games. Miami failed to make the postseason under the 40-year-old, but he finished with a winning record in each of his last two seasons. His dismissal was reportedly due to a power struggle with Dolphins general manager Chris Grier and a deteriorating relationship with quarterback Tua Tagovailoa.Chicago fired both coach Matt Nagy and GM Ryan Pace on Monday following a 6-11 campaign. Nagy spent four seasons with the Bears but couldn't reach the heights of his first year when he guided the club to a 12-4 record.Copyright © 2022 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

The Chicago Bears plan to interview Doug Pederson for their head coaching vacancy, sources told NFL Network's Tom Pelissero.It will be the second interview for the former Philadelphia Eagles head coach, who is also considered a candidate for the Jacksonville Jaguars job.Chicago fired both coach Matt Nagy and general manager Ryan Pace on Monday after finishing the 2021 season with a 6-11 record. The Bears are seeking new leadership for a roster that will feature quarterback Justin Fields.Pederson coached the Eagles for five seasons, highlighted by a Super Bowl LII win over the New England Patriots. He posted a 42-37-1 record during his tenure in Philadelphia while leading the franchise to three postseason appearances.He has spent a year away from the game after the Eagles fired him following the 2020 season.The Bears also requested to interview Buffalo Bills coordinators Brian Daboll and Leslie Frazier in addition to Tampa Bay Buccaneers coordinators Byron Leftwich and Todd Bowles, according to ESPN's Adam Schefter.Additionally, Chicago is seeking a meeting with Indianapolis Colts defensive coordinator Matt Eberflus, per Tom Pelissero of NFL Network.Copyright © 2022 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

Indianapolis Colts owner Jim Irsay vowed to deliver changes Monday after his team choked away a playoff spot with a season-ending loss to the lowly Jacksonville Jaguars."One thing that's clear is changes need to be made," Irsay told Mike Chappell of Fox59. "And they will be made. We also realize we have to do it cautiously and with a thorough evaluation and full discussion in a calm environment."It's not an emotional thing at all. It's about evaluating the whole program, and clearly, changes need to be made."The Colts lost 26-11 despite being heavy road favorites against the Jaguars, who finished the season with the NFL's worst record for the second straight year. Indianapolis also lost to the Las Vegas Raiders in Week 17 when it had a chance to clinch a playoff berth.Irsay was mum on what the pending changes might look like but said they won't come at the head coach or general manager levels."That was never in question," he said. "As an owner, I can say I have the utmost faith in Frank (Reich) and Chris (Ballard)."The Colts finished the season at 9-8. They've made the playoffs twice in four years with Reich and twice in five years with Ballard.Copyright © 2022 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

As a magazine storyteller, Chris Jones has written about astronauts, filmmakers, game show winners, magicians, one U.S. presidential nominee, the youngest manager in pro baseball, and Conor McGregor, who put Jones in a rear chokehold at his request. (Certain he could stay conscious, Jones passed out in seconds.)Jones never profiled Billy Beane, though he tried. When Beane was general manager of the Oakland Athletics, Jones asked to shadow him to learn about his approach to roster-building. Sure, Beane said - just not yet. Another writer was hanging around the A's front office, but Beane doubted the guy would publish anything."And then 'Moneyball' comes out," Jones said over the phone last week, referring to Michael Lewis' 2003 book. "Then it became a huge bestseller and the movie, and changed the world."By spotlighting how Beane ran the A's, Lewis made analytics popular. Crunching baseball's voluminous data helped Beane acquire undervalued players, like batters who got on base a lot, for little cost. Everyone began to look for overlooked opportunities. Baseball teams shift a lot nowadays. The NBA ditched the mid-range jumper to shoot threes in bulk. Win probability models spur NFL coaches to go for it more often on fourth down.Billy Beane (left). Michael Zagaris / Getty ImagesJones enjoyed "Moneyball" but thinks the movement it inspired went too far. His new book - "The Eye Test: A Case for Human Creativity in the Age of Analytics," out Tuesday - counters the notion that numbers should drive decision-making in all walks of life, sports included. He's met a lot of curious, adaptive, empathetic, expert people. What happens, he wonders, when the world discounts what they see and feel?"I'm worried that people are going to write that the book is an anti-'Moneyball' book," Jones said. "It's not. I just think data has its limits. And where it has its limits, those are opportunities for people to shine."Jones, who's written for Esquire, The New York Times Magazine, ESPN, Grantland, and Netflix, lives near Toronto in Port Hope, Ontario. He spoke to theScore about a range of topics that relate to his book, including Derek Jeter's defense, the Tampa Bay Rays' 2020 World Series loss, and the ingenuity of Jason Witten and Mohamed Salah.The conversation has been edited for length and clarity.Chris Jones. Courtesy of Twelve Books theScore: "The Eye Test" covers a lot of ground: sports, policing, Hollywood, the 9/11 victims compensation fund. Everywhere in life, you argue, problem-solving could stand to be more humane and less reliant on algorithms and spreadsheets. What made you want to mount that argument?Jones: My first sportswriting job was as a baseball beat writer. I covered the Blue Jays for (Canadian newspaper) the National Post. I learned a ton from old baseball guys. Jim Fregosi was the manager of the Jays. Every Sunday we were on the road, he would sit in the dugout with me and teach me something about the game. I still remember one I got on the changeup in Cleveland. It was 20 minutes on this single pitch."Moneyball" came out a few years later. When it came out, I was like, "This is super cool." I think the movie's fantastic. But then I felt like that movement started going too far, and those old guys who taught me stuff in the late '90s were exactly the kind of people who were being ridiculed or dismissed as morons, basically - do you know what I mean? - that they didn't know what they thought they knew.I think data does provide some useful corrections. I'm not saying I'm anti-data. I'm just saying I think that, like a lot of revolutions, it's gone too far and the collateral damage is starting to be something that we need to reckon with. I think there are claims being made about analytics that are not true, and if you dare to raise opposition, you're cast as a heretic or a moron or you believe in fairy dust.What I'm trying to say is: No. There's a place for data, but there's also a place for experience. There's still a place for multiple perspectives. Nearly 20 years after "Moneyball" has come out, I think a lot of people will, hopefully, agree they're feeling a little unease about the path that we're on.Kevin Cash. Douglas P. DeFelice / Getty ImagesYou bring up how Tampa Bay lost the 2020 World Series because of a math decision. Blake Snell was cruising in Game 6, Kevin Cash pulled Snell before the Dodgers batted against him for a third time, and L.A. took the lead. The counterpoint is that the Rays' analytical approach got them to the World Series in the first place. This got me wondering: Where, to you, is the line at which analytics stop being valuable?I don't know that there is a hard line. I would be a moron to make the case fully against analytics. It works for Tampa Bay. It worked for Oakland to get into the playoffs (under Beane). They're valuable to a point.But then I think what sometimes happens, human discretion gets cast aside and you always follow the math. There has to be a moment where you trust the guy or you trust your own wisdom. You trust your experience.Why do we only choose one perspective? Why does analytics become the law? Why can't it be analytics plus our sense of things? The analytics movement will talk about the pre-"Moneyball" time in sports as being blind, archaic. I feel like we're trading one kind of blindness for another.There's a guy, Ian Graham, who's a physicist. He's a backroom architect at Liverpool. He refuses to watch games because he thinks it taints him - that the emotion of it will make him less objective than he needs to be. I'm like, well, you're just choosing one myopia (over) another. You're trading the pure eye test for pure analytics. Isn't there room for both?The book opens with an Albert Einstein quote: "Imagination is more important than knowledge. Knowledge is limited. Imagination encircles the world." If sports did more to encourage imagination, creativity, and discretion, what effect would that have on the product?For me, if you get a really smart person working on something using creativity and imagination, that's now the competitive advantage. There's no baseball team that isn't using analytics now. There's a limit to what they can divine. You might find a new statistic, or you might find a better way to statistically analyze defense. But at some point, you're all using the same figures.The pendulum has swung in favor of analytics. Again, I'm not against them. But I do feel like it's time for a correction, where you bring it back a little bit. That's your competitive advantage now: It's in finding the right person for the right role.Steven Gerrard in 2016. Shaun Clark / Getty ImagesAbout people who've spent a lifetime in their sport, you write, "their bones can reveal its truths better than any spreadsheet." Who's a person you had in mind when you wrote this?I did a story (for ESPN The Magazine in 2014) on Mike Jirschele, who was the Kansas City Royals' third base coach. He spent, like, 36 years in the minors before he finally got to the majors. His son, Justin, is the youngest manager in professional baseball. I spent a lot of time with both of them.When I was with Justin, I closely watched a baseball game that he was managing. After the game, we broke it down. He was telling me things that I didn't even see. For him, these were obvious things. I was like, man, you understand this game because you've grown up with it. Because you've been around this game since you were a baby. And because after every game you've ever played or coached or watched, you and your dad have talked about it.Steven Gerrard was a major player at Liverpool, and then he moved to the LA Galaxy. I got to watch a game with him. He was doing remarkably accurate analyses of players he'd never seen before. He'd be like, "I don't know who No. 6 is, but blah, blah, blah," and he'd be bang-on about who that guy was.The book is not a case for random gut or flipping coins. But when you're smart - when you've earned an understanding of something - those people are so valuable. You might have a super good quant on your side, but if you also have someone like Steven Gerrard on your side? That's only an advantage.Derek Jeter. Jim McIsaac / Getty ImagesThis seems to be where Derek Jeter enters the picture. He won five Gold Gloves, but the metrics show he was a poor fielding shortstop with limited range. Yet he made spectacular plays, like his famous flip in the playoffs against Oakland. To you, what does Jeter represent about the tension between analytics and creativity?He's always held up as the reason you can't trust your eyes. The truth is the eye test and statistics dovetail pretty nicely when it comes to baseball defense. Ordinary fans are pretty good judges of whether someone is good at defense or not.Jeter is this exception that's always used as the rule. That's a narrative sin. That's what analytical guys always talk about with narrative: "You're picking and choosing. You can make any argument if you're selective enough." That's what they're doing with Jeter.If he was a below-average defender, he still made some amazing plays. He was a great shortstop despite some serious limitations. His knowledge, his wisdom, his experience, all of those things allowed him to make a play like the flip. For me, he's an optimistic story; a guy who doesn't have all the physical tools of another player can still rise to greatness given enough passion and attention to detail and practice and time.He's the embodiment of what I'm talking about. You earned the knowledge. You put the time in. And you see things that other people don't see because you love and understand this game in a different way.You wrote about a play that Jason Witten made to great effect throughout his NFL career. He'd run upfield on the Y Option and choose to turn left or right. What do you find so compelling about Witten and this route?It's everything I believe in, which is that you can take a simple, basic, seemingly binary thing and make magic out of it if you understand it better than anybody else. Jason Witten was a huge competitive advantage for the Cowboys because he could do things and saw things that other people couldn't do or see. He could do it with the most basic route.The Y Option, as he says, it's not sexy. It's left or right. How much thought could go into that? But even that gives you opportunities for greatness and difference and distinction. Imagine a much more complex thing, like policing, like medicine. If you can find a way to be great running the Y Option, imagine the possibilities in other fields of endeavor.When you spend time around smart, interesting people, you can't help but be inspired by the way they do what they do. Someone like Jason Witten - God, he was awesome. He was awesome at something that you wouldn't think someone could be awesome at. But he was. There's beauty in it.Jason Witten in 2019. Wesley Hitt / Getty ImagesWhat athlete do you like watching the most these days?I find him completely confounding: Mo Salah for Liverpool. He had one great season (in 2018), and I wrote a piece that was like, "They need to sell him. He had one great season. It's a fluke." Then he did kind of have a downish year, and now he's arguably the greatest goalscorer in the game. I watch him going, "How did you keep getting better?"He scored (last) week against Chelsea. I'm a goalkeeper. He made this little fake, (as if) he was going across the net, and instead dumped it short-side. The goalkeeper bit on the fake. I would have bit on the fake. He does stuff that's so subtle and beautiful. That goal is a good example. The statistics will show that he scored a goal from close range. But when you watch how he got the goal, it reveals so much more about him as a player.It's something that Ian Graham, the Liverpool (analyst) who's looking at his spreadsheets, wouldn't see. He'd appreciate him as a goalscorer, but he wouldn't know exactly what makes him great.It seems like a good example of how analytics and personal brilliance work in tandem. Liverpool has a data-driven approach and Mo Salah, this transcendent player who helps make them a terrific team.Why would you ever choose to see things one way? Especially complicated things. This will sound a little weird, maybe, but I think we're all taking in more information at the moment than humans are designed to take in. Because processing information is sometimes hard, we just sort: "I'm on that side. I'm not for that. I am for that."It's making us black-and-white thinkers. For me, there's so much beauty and possibility in the gray, in the nuance - in where these two things meet. If I had Ian Graham analyzing a football match and I had (Liverpool manager) Jurgen Klopp analyzing a football match, then I think I could really find the truth.Mo Salah scores against Chelsea. Catherine Ivill / Getty ImagesOutside of sports, who's your favorite character in this book?Teller, the magician. He gave me my favorite quote that I've ever gotten: "Sometimes, magic is just someone spending more time on something than anyone else might reasonably expect."He does magic that is so confounding, other magicians are completely fooled by him. I went to his house and he gave me a deck of cards. He's like, "I want you to pick a card out of this deck. Don't show me." I cupped the deck. I looked at the card. He's like, "OK, just remember that card." Half an hour later, we went outside. There was a sculpture of a big bear in the yard. The bear starts talking and goes, "Was your card the three of clubs?" And it was.The answer to how that happens is time. It's loving it more than somebody else. Putting the time in, being careful, always striving toward improvement, watching, learning. He has a voracious appetite for magic and magicians past.For me, he's the ideal of how you make something beautiful, which is basically what the book is for me. I hope people read the book and are inspired to do something awesome.Nick Faris is a features writer at theScore.Copyright © 2022 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

The NFL's first 17-game regular season gave players more opportunities than ever before to make their mark. Plenty of stars emerged in the 2021 season, but only the very best made it onto our roster.Here are theScore's All-Pro selections.* = unanimous selectionQuarterbackAaron Rodgers, PackersRodgers is in line to become just the sixth player in NFL history to win back-to-back MVP awards. All but one of our panelists believed he was the best quarterback of the season, with Tom Brady garnering the outlier vote. Rodgers threw for 4,115 yards and 37 touchdowns against four interceptions, leading Green Bay to a first-round bye yet again - even though he couldn't quite replicate his otherworldly production from the 2020 season. Moreover, the veteran's advanced stats jump off the screen. Rodgers led the NFL in QBR and EPA and was second to only Joe Burrow in completion percentage over expectation.Running back Justin Casterline / Getty Images Sport / GettyJonathan Taylor, Colts*Were you expecting anyone else? Taylor lapped the competition: He scored a league-high 18 rushing touchdowns, racked up 1,272 yards after contact, and set the Colts' single-season records for rushing yards (1,811) and touchdowns. The 22-year-old also proved that he's more than just the between-the-tackles runner that some had labeled him when he entered the league. He posted 30-plus receptions for the second consecutive campaign, establishing himself as a threat in the passing game to go along with his dominance on the ground.Wide receiverCooper Kupp, Rams*

The Denver Broncos are casting a wide net in their search for a new head coach.Denver is requesting an interview with Kansas City Chiefs offensive coordinator Eric Bieniemy, in addition to numerous other candidates, NFL Network's Ian Rapoport reports.The Broncos are reportedly looking to talk to Dallas Cowboys defensive coordinator Dan Quinn. Dallas offensive coordinator Kellen Moore is also being targeted for an interview, a source told Mike Klis of 9News.Additionally, the Broncos want to speak with New England Patriots linebackers coach Jerod Mayo and Green Bay Packers offensive coordinator Nathaniel Hackett, according to ESPN's Adam Schefter. The Philadelphia Eagles also received a request from the Broncos to meet with defensive coordinator Jonathan Gannon, per NFL Network's Tom Pelissero.Los Angeles Rams offensive coordinator Kevin O'Connell has also been requested for an interview, Rapoport reports. Detroit Lions defensive coordinator Aaron Glenn is another candidate the Broncos have sought out, Pelissero adds.Bieniemy received interest from other clubs during the 2021 coaching carousel but didn't land a job. He's served as the coordinator for the Chiefs' high-powered offense since 2018.Quinn joined the Cowboys in 2021 after spending the previous six seasons as the Atlanta Falcons' coach. He compiled a 43-42 record and earned a Super Bowl appearance during his time in Atlanta.Meanwhile, Moore has risen through the ranks in recent years. He started as the Cowboys' quarterbacks coach in 2018 before taking over the offense in 2019.Mayo is in the midst of his third campaign with the Patriots' coaching staff. He's coached the likes of Dont'a Hightower and Ja'Whaun Bentley, among others, in 2021.O'Connell has been with the Rams since 2020 after serving as the offensive coordinator in Washington for the 2019 season.Glenn spent one year with the Lions, his first season as a defensive coordinator after coaching defensive backs for the New Orleans Saints from 2016-2020.The Broncos fired former head coach Vic Fangio on Sunday after he posted a 19-30 record over three seasons.Denver is still searching for its first postseason appearance since winning Super Bowl 50.Copyright © 2022 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

Six teams need a new head coach, and three clubs are looking for a new general manager following another Black Monday in the NFL.The six-pack includes the Las Vegas Raiders, who are heading to the playoffs with interim head coach Rich Bisaccia. The Miami Dolphins made the most surprising coaching change, dismissing Brian Flores on the heels of back-to-back winning campaigns amid a reported power struggle with management.Coaching changesTeamPrevious CoachSeasonsBearsMatt Nagy4BroncosVic Fangio3DolphinsBrian Flores3JaguarsUrban Meyer1RaidersJon Gruden4VikingsMike Zimmer8GM changesTeamPrevious GMSeasonsBearsRyan Pace7GiantsDave Gettleman4VikingsRick Spielman10The New York Giants and Houston Texans are rumored to be undecided on their coaches' fates, putting Joe Judge and David Culley in limbo. Judge is 10-23 through two seasons with the Giants, while Culley went 4-13 in his first year with the Texans.Elsewhere, Matt Rhule appears to be safe as head coach of the Carolina Panthers despite two disappointing years. Rhule is already lining up interviews for a new offensive coordinator after terminating Joe Brady during the season.Copyright © 2022 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

Now that one of the craziest NFL regular seasons in recent memory is over, we finally know the 14-team postseason field. Only some of those squads have a realistic chance of winning it all - and just a few are worth betting to do so.Here are the updated odds at theScore Bet to win the Super Bowl ahead of the playoffs, along with my three favorite bets to hoist this year's Lombardi Trophy.TEAMODDSGreen Bay Packers+380Kansas City Chiefs+450Buffalo Bills+750Tampa Bay Buccaneers+800Tennessee Titans+850Los Angeles Rams+950Dallas Cowboys+1100New England Patriots+1600Cincinnati Bengals+1800San Francisco 49ers+2500Arizona Cardinals+2500Las Vegas Raiders+5000Philadelphia Eagles+6000Pittsburgh Steelers+8000Los Angeles Rams (+950)The Rams were my preseason pick to win it all, and while it's been a somewhat bumpy road to this point, they still enter the playoffs with the NFL's third-best record (12-5) after winning five of six games since the start of December.Los Angeles ranks No. 1 in PFF grades and No. 2 in net yards per play, and this roster is as good as it's been all year after adding Odell Beckham and Von Miller during the campaign. It's also among the healthiest in the entire postseason field - particularly in the NFC, where the top two seeds have battled attrition all season long.Sean McVay is among the handful of coaches in this year's field with Super Bowl experience and has arguably his most talented roster this time around. Matthew Stafford's recent turnover streak is discouraging, but he had one of his best performances of the season in a Week 14 win over the Cardinals, whom he'll face again this week. If he can take care of the ball in that game and beyond, this team has all the makings of a title winner.Dallas Cowboys (+1100)It seems impossible for a team as nationally beloved as the Cowboys to fly under the radar ahead of the postseason. Somehow, that's the case with this squad, which leads the league in DVOA and is the only team with a top-six mark on offense (sixth), defense (second), and special teams (sixth).Start with the offense, which has scored 50 points in two of the last three weeks with surprisingly little fanfare. Between 1990 and 2020, only five teams had scored 50 points twice in the same season; four of the five reached the conference title game, and two of them - the 2007 Patriots and 2013 Broncos - got to the Super Bowl.Dallas' defense has somehow been even more impressive thanks to the prolific play of rookie linebacker Micah Parsons and star cornerback Trevon Diggs, who both have the potential to be absolute game-wreckers in the playoffs. Yes, we've seen the Cowboys disappoint in postseasons past, but this iteration is far too talented and productive to be priced as a second-tier contender.New England Patriots (+1600)Remember that exclusive list of teams to score 50 points twice in a season? The Patriots added themselves to it. They own the league's top scoring offense (30.6 PPG) and top scoring defense (16.0 PPG) since Week 7. So how in the world are they priced at 16-1 here and as high as 22-1 at some shops?Losses to the Bills and Colts in late December shook the market's confidence, but this is still a top-five team by most advanced metrics behind a suffocating defense and high-upside offense. The Patriots are particularly adept against the pass - which is crucial in this year's AFC - and offensive coordinator Josh McDaniels has found ways to scheme Mac Jones into success in the quarterback's rookie campaign.They'll be tested right away against the Bills, who beat New England in Week 16 to even the season series and earn home-field in this contest. I'd expect a better game plan against Josh Allen in what should be a low-scoring affair, which is how the Patriots will need to muscle their way through the AFC. At relatively long odds, I'll gladly bet on Bill Belichick and Co. to surprise.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 Carolina Panthers have no intention of trading star running back Christian McCaffrey, according to general manager Scott Fitterer."There was a report back in November that we were actively trying to trade him, and I told him that was not true," Fitterer said Monday, according to ESPN's David Newton. "What I did tell him was, 'Hey, listen, I'll take any call. Call and make any offer you want.'"That doesn't mean we'll do it. That doesn't mean we're shopping you. I look at Christian as a foundation piece on this team. We're a better team when he's on the field. He's one of the elite players in the NFL."McCaffrey has been the subject of trade speculation since Carolina placed him on injured reserve after he sustained a left ankle injury in Week 12. He also dealt with a strained hamstring in Week 3 that kept him on the sideline for the entirety of October.The former All-Pro tailback has played in just 10 of a possible 33 games over the last two years, including seven this season.McCaffrey produced 2,392 scrimmage yards (1,387 rushing, 1,005 receiving) and 19 total touchdowns in 2019, earning him his first and only Pro Bowl nod.The Panthers are leaving the door open to using McCaffrey in other ways moving forward. Head coach Matt Rhule had a discussion before the 2021 season with former offensive coordinator Joe Brady about playing the versatile weapon more as a slot receiver, per Newton.Rhule insists that lining up McCaffrey in the slot is purely based on matchups rather than trying to protect him from injury.Carolina signed McCaffrey to a four-year, $64-million contract in 2020. He will carry a $14.3-million cap hit next season.McCaffrey said that he doesn't believe a move to slot receiver will benefit him health-wise and that he aims to be active when OTAs begin in the summer.Copyright © 2022 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

The Chicago Bears requested to interview Buffalo Bills defensive coordinator Leslie Frazier for their head coaching vacancy, a source told ESPN's Dan Graziano.The news comes after the Bears fired Matt Nagy earlier Monday.Frazier was named the Minnesota Vikings' head coach in 2011 after he took over the interim role the year before. The Vikings fired him following the 2013 campaign after he recorded a 21-32-1 record and made one playoff appearance.The 62-year-old spent the following two seasons as the Tampa Bay Buccaneers' defensive coordinator before taking the same role with the Buffalo Bills in 2017.The Bills' defense has been among the NFL's best since Frazier's arrival. The unit finished first in both points and yards allowed this season.Chicago is looking to kick-start a new regime after firing both Nagy and general manager Ryan Pace.Copyright © 2022 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

The Carolina Panthers are expected to ask to speak to Houston Texans quarterbacks coach Pep Hamilton for their vacant offensive coordinator position, a source told NFL Network's Ian Rapoport.Hamilton is known for his work with signal-callers. He served as Justin Herbert's quarterbacks coach during Herbert's 2020 rookie campaign with the Los Angeles Chargers and also spent 2013-15 as the Indianapolis Colts' offensive coordinator with Andrew Luck.Herbert won Offensive Rookie of the Year in his lone season with Hamilton, while Luck threw for a career-high 40 touchdowns in 2014.Texans quarterback Davis Mills also enjoyed a strong finish to the 2021 campaign under Hamilton. The rookie passer threw for nine touchdowns to two interceptions over his last five starts.The Panthers have been on the lookout for a new offensive coordinator since firing Joe Brady in December. Their offense struggled in 2021, finishing 29th in points per game and 30th in yardage.Carolina head coach Matt Rhule said Monday that he is looking for a coordinator with experience calling plays, according to team reporter Darin Gantt.The Panthers are also expected to target Jay Gruden, Bill O'Brien, and Los Angeles Rams offensive coordinator Kevin O'Connell, ESPN's Adam Schefter previously reported.Copyright © 2022 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

Tampa Bay Buccaneers head coach Bruce Arians has no doubt that quarterback Tom Brady should be named MVP this season."If he doesn't get it, it's a travesty," Arians said Monday. "Most completions ever, 5,000 yards, touchdowns. ... To me, it's not even a close race."Brady entered the final month of the regular season as the betting favorite for the award, but Green Bay Packers star Aaron Rodgers has since leapfrogged him as the front-runner.Brady led all quarterbacks in most statistical categories, including completions, passing yards, and touchdowns. He posted a 13-4 record and helped Tampa Bay win the NFC South for the first time since 2007.Meanwhile, Rodgers, who went 13-3, topped the NFL in passer rating and total QBR while guiding Green Bay to the NFC's No. 1 seed.QBComp. %YardsTD passesINTRateQBRTD runsBrady67.553164312102.168.52Rodgers68.94115374111.968.83Both quarterbacks have overcome adversities.Brady had his top skill-position players available in just two games, as wide receivers Mike Evans, Chris Godwin, and Antonio Brown, as well as tight end Rob Gronkowski and running back Leonard Fournette, all missed at least one contest due to injuries.Rodgers, who's been playing through a broken toe, didn't have All-Pro left tackle David Bakhtiari on the field until Week 18. The signal-caller also saw tight end Robert Tonyan go down with a season-ending injury in Week 8.The Packers were held to only seven points in their loss to the Kansas City Chiefs in Week 9, the only game Rodgers missed this season.Brady and Rodgers each have three MVP awards. Hall of Fame quarterback Peyton Manning holds the record with five wins.Copyright © 2022 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

New York Giants general manager Dave Gettleman is retiring after four seasons in charge, the team announced Monday."It was a privilege to serve as the general manager of the New York Giants the last four years and to have spent so many years of my career with this franchise," said Gettleman."We obviously have not had the on-the-field success I expected, and that is disappointing. However, I have many fond memories here, including two Super Bowl victories, and I wish the team and organization only the best moving forward. There are many good people here who pour their souls into this organization. I am proud to have worked alongside them."Head coach Joe Judge reportedly hasn't yet met with Giants ownership amid questions about his future, according to NFL Network's Mike Garafolo.Giants co-owner John Mara said the team will look to hire a successor for Gettleman "who will oversee all aspects of our football operations, including player personnel, college scouting and coaching.""It is an understatement to say John and I are disappointed by the lack of success we have had on the field," co-owner Steve Tisch said. "We are united in our commitment to find a general manager who will provide the direction necessary for us to achieve the on-field performance and results we all expect."The 70-year-old Gettleman ends his time with the Giants with a 19-46 record, zero playoff appearances, and no winning seasons.His career in the NFL spanned 35 years. He first joined the Giants as a scout in 1998 and worked his way into a prominent front-office position before leaving to become the Carolina Panthers' general manager.He returned to New York after racking up a 40-23-1 record and a Super Bowl appearance in Carolina, but he failed to bring the Giants franchise back to prominence.Copyright © 2022 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

Brian Flores is out in Miami.The Dolphins fired the head coach after three seasons, the team announced Monday.Miami posted a 9-8 record this season, marking its second straight winning campaign under Flores. The Dolphins won just one of their first eight games in 2021 but finished the season on an 8-1 streak.The 40-year-old, who began his coaching career as an assistant for the New England Patriots, leaves Miami with a 24-25 record. The Dolphins didn't make the playoffs during his tenure.Miami decided to move on from Flores due to his deteriorating relationships with general manager Chris Grier and quarterback Tua Tagovailoa, according to Jeff Darlington of ESPN.The coach was involved in a power struggle with Grier, who'll remain with the AFC East team, reports Ian Rapoport of NFL Network.Dolphins owner Stephen Ross seemed to confirm Monday that Flores and Grier weren't collaborating successfully."I'll take all responsibility," Ross said, according to Safid Deen of USA Today. "I am the owner of the team. If it's not working, it's up to me. That's why we're making a change."Flores is expected to be a prime candidate for head coaching jobs this offseason, sources told ESPN's Adam Schefter.Rumors linking the Dolphins' vacancy to Michigan coach Jim Harbaugh surfaced quickly after Flores was fired. Harbaugh is reportedly expected to entertain NFL offers during the offseason, but Miami has no interest in pursuing him."I'm not going to be the person to take Jim Harbaugh from Michigan," Ross said.The Dolphins' next head coach will inherit a roster with plenty of question marks, especially on offense. Tagovailoa has yet to meet expectations since being drafted fifth overall in 2020. The 23-year-old, who's 13-8 as a starter, passed for 16 touchdowns against 10 interceptions through 13 appearances this season.Miami was reportedly interested in acquiring Houston Texans quarterback Deshaun Watson in 2021, but the two sides didn't reach an agreement before the trade deadline in November.Ross said he has no plans to pursue Watson in 2022, but he'll let the team's next head coach make the decision."It will be up to the head coach in what he does with the quarterback," Ross said. "I have a lot of confidence in Tua. And it'll be up to the head coach in what he wants to do with the position."

As the Raiders knocked off the Chargers in the NFL's version of a fever dream Sunday, the opening lines for the six Wild Card Weekend matchups began popping up. To get decent value before markets fully take shape, you need to know what you’re looking for.In the first dozen weeks of the season, we did a weekly exercise where I listed my ratings for each team to guide us forward when betting on the spread. We ignored the early fervor over the Cardinals, slowly bought into the Cowboys, and weren't troubled by the Chiefs’ early struggles. This allowed us to keep levelheaded while betting a league driven by overreaction.The following table includes my end-of-year ratings for each playoff team and the net points assigned for home-field advantage.TEAMRATINGHFAChiefs761.9Buccaneers741.7Packers722Bills712Cowboys691.5Rams681.449ers661Patriots631.9Chargers631.3Cardinals601.5Bengals591.4Titans581.6Eagles531.6Raiders491.8/Steelers461.7Let's use these ratings to look at the wild card games.Raiders @ Bengals (-6, 48.5)This matchup never seemed all that likely, but here we are. While I've rated both teams lower than their fans might appreciate, this game masks how they'd be regarded in the market against any of the other top-five AFC teams.My ratings have the Bengals as 4.2 points better than the Raiders at home, even though Cincinnati's home-field advantage is below average.Patriots @ Bills (-4.5, 43.5)We could see this matchup coming one way or another. The Patriots and Bills met twice in the last six weeks, so we have a pretty good understanding of what the line should be. Buffalo was -2.5 in a windy home contest, while the rematch in New England closed near pick'em.A closing spread of PK in Foxborough, Massachusetts, equates to Bills -4 in Buffalo. This should explain why you're getting over a field goal with the Patriots in Orchard Park. It's probably best to wait on the weather before betting this one.Eagles @ Buccaneers (-9.5, 49.5)My numbers made the Buccaneers -7.5 at home to the Eagles, which is where this one started before it was bet up. The opening would probably be considered low compared to the Bucs' status as 7-point road favorites when they visited Philadelphia earlier this season.Tampa Bay has fallen out of the top spot in the ratings because of injuries that it hasn't shaken all season. We'll see how the team lines up at home, especially since its vaunted run defense will be key in handling what the Eagles do best. I can't see this number going down, so if you like the Bucs, now may be the time.49ers @ Cowboys (-3, 51)This one could be exciting for both bettors and early '90s football fans. The 49ers were listed at a bad price to win the NFC in the preseason, but they're vulnerable favorites here. My numbers have the Cowboys as favorites at just under a field goal so - barring a big move away from +3 - I'll have a ticket on San Francisco. My hope is that "America's Team" will take North America's money so I can get the hook.Steelers @ Chiefs (-13, 47.5)Wait, what are the Steelers doing here?! Week 18 didn't disappoint from an entertainment standpoint, but we now have a rematch of a game that saw the Chiefs destroy Pittsburgh as 10-point favorites on Dec. 26.The ratings above agree with the line from that meeting, suggesting the Chiefs are 10.3 points better at Arrowhead Stadium. There'll definitely be some value for anyone with the stomach to bet Pittsburgh, especially if we ever see +14.Cardinals @ Rams (-4, 50)Depending on which moments you caught Sunday, these teams either looked like the best or worst versions of themselves. My ratings spit out Rams -3.6, so there isn't a ton of value unless the Cardinals take money to get this down to -3. With this starting between the key numbers of -3 and -6, we have time to decide what our move is for Monday night.Remember: We shouldn't blindly back teams based on ratings alone. These are just starting points before diving into the on-field matchups and deciding how best to attack each contest. That said, if we can get a good price on a game that we expect will see the point spread move our way, there's nothing wrong with getting down early and asking questions later.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 fired head coach Mike Zimmer and longtime general manager Rick Spielman, the team announced Monday.Minnesota recorded its second straight losing campaign, finishing a disappointing 8-9. The Vikings have now missed the playoffs in two consecutive years.Zimmer, 65, went 72-56-1 with Minnesota and helped the team make three playoff appearances (2015, 2017, and 2019). He posted a 2-3 postseason record.Spielman first joined the Vikings in 2006 as vice president of player personnel. The 59-year-old, who was promoted to GM in 2012, hired Zimmer to replace Leslie Frazier in 2014.The Vikings lacked consistency throughout the Zimmer and Spielman tenure, failing to capture double-digit wins in consecutive campaigns. Minnesota's best run in recent years came in the 2017 season, when the team won the NFC North and reached the NFC title game.Zimmer, a former defensive coordinator, helped the Vikings' defense finish top 10 in scoring for five straight seasons from 2015-19. However, the unit took a step back in the last two years, ranking 29th and 24th in points allowed in 2020 and 2021, respectively.Spielman and Zimmer were also responsible for signing quarterback Kirk Cousins in 2018. Cousins, who's 33-29-1 as a starter in Minnesota, inked a fully guaranteed three-year deal worth $84 million with the Vikings in free agency that year.Minnesota's next head coach will have a lot of talent to work with. Led by running back Dalvin Cook and wide receiver Justin Jefferson, the Vikings have one of the NFL's most gifted offensive units.Copyright © 2022 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

The Chicago Bears fired head coach Matt Nagy and longtime general manager Ryan Pace, the team announced Monday.Nagy leaves Chicago with a 34-31 record and two playoff appearances in four years. Meanwhile, Pace exits with a 48-65 mark after his fourth losing season in seven campaigns at the helm.The 43-year-old Nagy entered the 2021 season on the hot seat after consecutive 8-8 campaigns. He also suffered losses in the wild-card round in 2018 and 2020.Nagy, the former offensive coordinator of the Kansas City Chiefs, was brought to Chicago to mentor Mitchell Trubisky and revitalize the team's long-stagnant offense.However, the offense never finished higher than 22nd in points scored or 24th in yards gained during the last three seasons.Nagy and Pace were fired less than a year after being allowed to make a second blockbuster move up in the draft for another highly touted quarterback in Justin Fields.But Fields struggled in his first season and the head coach received significant criticism for failing to adapt his scheme to the dual-threat rookie.Copyright © 2022 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.