With just a few weeks away until the NFL playoffs, news is aplenty around the league. While some teams are focused on their playoff push, some are analyzing their coaching situations and thinking about their positioning in the draft. Here is a look at some of the biggest stories of the week.
AFC West Belongs To Kansas City Again
With their 33-27 win over the Miami Dolphins on Sunday, the Kansas City Chiefs secured the AFC West title, winning the division for the fifth straight year. At 12-1, they have once again been dominant with their only blemish a loss to the Las Vegas Raiders, the team that is coincidently in second place in the division at 7-6.
While winning the division is nice, the Chiefs have their eyes set on a bigger prize as they look to repeat as the Super Bowl champions. They are currently the favorites to win it all with a moneyline of +195. The next best odds are the Green Bay Packers and New Orleans Saints at +700 each.
The Chiefs have one of the most dynamic offenses in the NFL, led by quarterback Patrick Mahomes, wide receiver Tyreek Hill and tight end Travis Kelce. Their offense currently ranks second overall, averaging 31 points per game, and their defense ranks eighth, allowing an average of 21.6 points per game.
Hurts To Remain At Quarterback
After leading the Philadelphia Eagles to a shocking 24-21 win over the top-ranked New Orleans Saints, Jalen Hurts will continue under center this upcoming weekend. In the victory, Hurts threw for 167 yards and a touchdown while also rushing for 106 yards.
Hurts is replacing Carson Wentz, who has struggled mightily this season. On the year, Wentz has thrown for 2,620 yards and 16 touchdowns but also has 15 interceptions. He has also been sacked a whopping 50 times.
Offensively, the Eagles have needed a spark. Philadelphia currently ranks 26th in the NFL, averaging just 21.3 points per game. They haven’t been too much better on defense, as they rank 19th and have been allowing 25.2 points per game, but their offense has been especially tough to watch.
At 4-8-1, the Eagles are in third in the dismal NFC East. Despite the poor record, they only trail the first-place Washington Football Team by one and a half games. With three games remaining, including a regular-season finale against Washington, they are not yet mathematically eliminated from the playoffs.
Currently, the Eagles are +600 to win the division and +8500 to win the NFC this year. If you're really looking for a longshot, they are +21000 to win it all this year.
Coaching Carousel Rumors Heating Up
At the end of every NFL season, there is always a coaching carousel as head coaches are relieved of their duties, and organizations look for new leaders to take over the reins. This year will be no different as there are already organizations like Detroit and Houston looking for new head coaches and several others to come.
According to the Dallas Cowboys’ vice president Stephen Jones, their organization will not be one of those teams, as Mike McCarthy is expected to return in 2021. It has been an abysmal season for the Cowboys, who currently are last in the NFC East. The loss of star quarterback Dak Prescott nearly ended the Cowboys' playoff hopes, but at 4-9, Dallas is still not yet eliminated, thanks to a weak division.
On the flip side, it appears that a couple of potential candidates could be ruling themselves out. One name that has been discussed around the league is Michigan head coach Jim Harbaugh. However, Harbaugh insists that he is committed to staying at the school even though there has been speculation the two sides could part ways after the college season.
Another name that has come up in rumors is former Steelers’ coach Bill Cowher. According to Rich Cimini of ESPN, though, Cowher has shot down some of those rumors, indicating that he has no interest in any open jobs. While you can never say never, the Hall-of-Famer doesn’t seem overly emphatic about returning to a head coaching gig, something he hasn’t done since leaving the Steelers in 2006.
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