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  • Looking back at a crazy wild-card weekend

    Looking back at a crazy wild-card weekend

    It was a wild wild-card weekend, with two stunners in Texas and history made in Michigan.

    We broke down most of it (the Rams-Lions game hadn’t ended yet) from the big desk in the big studio.

    Check out the video. We discuss Packers-Cowboys, Dolphins-Chiefs, Browns-Texans, preview the Monday games, and then play a little match game with big-name coaches and vacancies.

    We’ll continue to cover everything going on during a crazy and historic time in the NFL, especially with all eyes now on Dallas for a possible upgrade from a guy who won one Super Bowl to a guy who has won six of them.

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  • Washington hires Jedd Fisch: Ex-Arizona coach replaces Kalen DeBoer, leads Huskies into Big Ten

    Washington hires Jedd Fisch: Ex-Arizona coach replaces Kalen DeBoer, leads Huskies into Big Ten

    Washington has hired coach Jedd Fisch away from Arizona after three seasons, the university announced. Fisch replaces Kalen DeBoer, who left for the Alabama job this week following the retirement of Nick Saban. Details of Fisch’s deal are not yet official but it is believed to be worth $7.75 million annually over seven years, according to multiple reports. 

    Fisch, 47, executed an impressive turnaround for the Wildcats, culminating with a 10-win season in 2023. He solidified his reputation as an offensive guru after a winding career including numerous NFL assistant jobs and coordinator gigs with major college programs.

    “It is truly an honor to join the University of Washington and do my part in carrying on the tradition of a storied football program and world-class university,” said Fisch in a UW release. “The unbelievable success of the Huskies the last two seasons demonstrates what UW is capable of and I cannot wait to compete for Big Ten and national championships with tremendous young men and an outstanding coaching staff that we will assemble.”

    Fisch proved during his three-year tenure at Arizona that he can successfully build a winning program amid challenging circumstances. He inherited a team that finished 0-5 in 2020 and progressively made the Wildcats more competitive. Arizona reached double-digit victories for just the fourth time in program history this season, finishing with a seven-game winning streak capped by a 38-24 win over Oklahoma in the Alamo Bowl.

    Arizona’s breakthrough in 2023 centered around the emergence of quarterback Noah Fifita, who was named the Pac-12 Freshman Offensive Player of the Year. Fifita actually made his first career start against Washington on Sept. 30. Though Arizona lost the game 31-24, his…

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  • Cowboys’ playoff failures by the numbers since last NFC title game appearance

    Cowboys’ playoff failures by the numbers since last NFC title game appearance

    It’s been 28 years since the Dallas Cowboys beat Brett Favre and the Green Bay Packers, 38-27, in the 1995 NFC Championship Game, before beating Bill Cowher’s Pittsburgh Steelers, 27-17, in Super Bowl XXX.

    That’s the last time Dallas has made it as far as a conference championship game. You’d be hard-pressed to find a more disappointing playoff stretch for any franchise than the Cowboys’ over this time.

    They’ve endured 12 playoff exits since then, the most recent a 19-12 defeat to the San Francisco 49ers last postseason. Here’s a number and fact for each one, to sum up the postseason agony for America’s Team.

    1. Teams worth $9 billion in sports (2023 Cowboys)

    There’s ONE team worth $9 billion in sports. It’s just the 2023 Cowboys, according to Forbes. They’ve been the most valuable NFL franchise for 15 straight years. They say money can’t buy you happiness. Well, it can’t buy you a championship either.

    2. Cowboys’ times with No. 1 seed since 1996

    Dallas has had the No. 1 seed TWO times since 1996. In 2007, it went one-and-done against the Giants and Terrell Owens got emotional defending Tony Romo during an infamous postgame interview, saying “That’s my quarterback.” In 2016, the Cowboys lost after Aaron Rodgers’ iconic sideline throw to Jared Cook set up the game-winning field goal.

    3. Dez Bryant’s controversial no-catch vs. Packers

    Dez Bryant had THREE catches in the Cowboys’ 26-21 divisional round loss at Lambeau Field in 2014. It would have been four if replay review didn’t overturn his controversial no-catch. Had the catch stood up, Dallas could have taken the lead in the final minutes of the game. Safe to say Dallas wants to put its last two playoff games vs. the Packers (2014 and 2016) in the rearview mirror. 

    4. Mike McCarthy losses vs. 49ers in postseason

    Mike McCarthy is 0-4 in his playoff career vs. the 49ers (two losses with the Packers and two with the Cowboys),…

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  • Huskers offer JUCO lineman

    Huskers offer JUCO lineman

    Nebraska has been active in the transfer portal for the last several weeks, and the activity has continued with a recent offer to a JUCO prospect. Dylan Christley is a defensive lineman from Maricopa Junior College out of Arizona.

    He also holds offers from Wyoming, UNLV, and Maryland. Christley recorded 30 tackles, 11.5 sacks, and two forced fumbles during an eight-game season. The Huskers have already added six players via the transfer portal this offseason.

    The Huskers currently rank 20th in On3’s 2024 College Football Team Transfer Portal Rankings. Nebraska has also seen ten players depart the program since the portal opened at the end of the regular season.

    Contact/Follow us @CornhuskersWire on Twitter, and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Nebraska news, notes, and opinions.

    Story originally appeared on Cornhuskers Wire

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  • Chiefs move on with 26-7 win over Dolphins

    Chiefs move on with 26-7 win over Dolphins

    The Chiefs have looked shaky at times during the 2023 season, but their playoff debut was as good a performance as they’ve had all season.

    Patrick Mahomes threw a touchdown pass, Isiah Pacheco ran for another and the Chiefs defense joined the weather to make life miserable for the Dolphins offense. The result was a 26-7 win that moves the Chiefs into the divisional round of the playoffs for the sixth straight season.

    If the Bills beat the Steelers on Monday, the Chiefs will play the first road playoff game of Mahomes’ career next week. If the Steelers win, the Chiefs will host the Texans at Arrowhead Stadium.

    Mahomes was 23-of-41 for 261 yards as the Chiefs came out throwing a bit more than expected given the cold and wind in Kansas City on Saturday night. His touchdown went to rookie wideout Rashee Rice to cap the first drive of the game. Tight end Travis Kelce had seven catches for 71 yards, Pacheco ran 23 times for 82 yards to lead the team’s ground attack and Rice finished with eight catches for 130 yards in his playoff debut.

    Dolphins quarterback Tua Tagovailoa’s first postseason action was not as enjoyable. The best play of the day for Miami was an underthrow that Tyreek Hill turned into a 53-yard touchdown and Tagovailoa finished the game 17-of-35 for 171 yards. The Dolphins had just 261 total yards and the poor outing was a disappointing way to end the year for a unit that had found much greater success at other points this season.

    The performance and the Dolphins’ low number of wins against quality competition will likely renew questions about the team’s long-term future with Tagovailoa. They have already picked up his fully-guaranteed option for 2024, though, and that means the short-term is likely to be focused on finding ways to improve on a season that ended with three losses in five games than handed the AFC East to the Bills.

    Kansas City won’t have to take the same kind of stock this week. Their offense moved the ball and their defense continued a…

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  • Nick Saban’s ‘100% access’ to Alabama team among five things we learned from Kalen DeBoer’s press conference

    Nick Saban’s ‘100% access’ to Alabama team among five things we learned from Kalen DeBoer’s press conference

    Alabama’s storied football program officially turned the page Saturday, as the Tide introduced Kalen DeBoer as Nick Saban’s successor at head coach. DeBoer comes to Tuscaloosa after two years at Washington, where he amassed a 25-3 record and led the Huskies to the 2023 College Football Playoff National Championship. 

    Even with DeBoer’s track record of success, stepping in for Saban is an unenviable task. The legendary coach, who sits right at the top of the “greatest of all time” conversation, spent 17 years winning myriad titles and re-establishing the Crimson Tide as a premier program in the SEC. 

    But it wasn’t a hard sell for DeBoer, who turned his eyes toward the future while discussing his motivations in taking the Alabama job. 

    “This was one of the few places, maybe the only place, that I would have ever left to come coach at,” DeBoer said. “Because I understand what Alabama football is all about. Those guys that I sat in front of a room yesterday, I know what they’re going through cause I saw the same thing less than 24 hours ago… I’m looking forward to the new journey that lies ahead. I’m looking forward to those new challenges here.” 

    Here’s what we learned from DeBoer’s introductory press conference and subsequent appearance in front of local media. 

    Leaning on the GOAT

    Aside from Alabama’s facilities, recruiting war chest and prominent stature among college football’s elite, DeBoer has one special resource that really stands apart — his access to Saban. Saban already said that he plans to retain an office inside Alabama’s athletic complex, so DeBoer should never have much trouble for finding him. 

    That’s great news for DeBoer, who emphasized that Saban would have “100% access” to everything Alabama is doing under this…

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  • Why is Dolphins-Chiefs playoff game exclusively on Peacock? Explaining why league went exclusive to streaming

    Why is Dolphins-Chiefs playoff game exclusively on Peacock? Explaining why league went exclusive to streaming

    For the first time in NFL history, the league will broadcast a postseason game exclusively on a streaming service. Saturday’s nightcap of the Super Wild Card Weekend doubleheader on the NBC platforms will be exclusively on the streaming service Peacock, not on free over-the-air television. 

    The Saturday night contest between the Miami Dolphins and Kansas City Chiefs will only be on Peacock, unless the viewer lives in the local television markets of the respective teams (the game will air free). For everyone else across the country, a Peacock subscription plans start at $5.99 per month. 

    The NFL tried to air a playoff game that wasn’t on free over-the-air broadcast television once, when the Carolina Panthers beat the Arizona Cardinals in the opening game of the wild card round of the playoffs in January of 2015 (the first year of the new television contract). That game aired on ESPN exclusively, but that lasted only a year.

    ESPN simulcast the game on ABC in subsequent years, thanks to the league having the lowest rated playoff game in six years. The league hasn’t had a playoff game omitted on broadcast television since, until Saturday’s Super Wild Card round game on Peacock. 

    So why is this game exclusively on a streaming service? NBC Universal paid the NFL $110 million last year for rights to carry a wild card game on Peacock — a one-year deal. This will be a trial for the league in its new television contract, which had exclusive games on streaming in the regular season (Thursday Night Football on Amazon Prime, international game on ESPN+, and Saturday night game on Peacock). 

    Live sports have been a huge part of Peacock’s growth, which is why NBCUniversal is banking on giving this game a one-year trial. There will be no free trials for Peacock. 

    Technically, three NFL playoff games are on Peacock this weekend. The Saturday 4:30 p.m. game between the Cleveland Browns and Houston…

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  • Alabama safety in the transfer portal commits to Georgia

    Alabama safety in the transfer portal commits to Georgia

    Alabama Crimson Tide freshman safety Jake Pope is transferring to the Georgia Bulldogs. Pope committed to Georgia on Friday evening.

    Pope, a former four-star recruit, played high school football at Buford High School in Buford, Georgia. Kirby Smart and Georgia football heavily recruited Jake Pope out of high school.

    Pope did not see any game action as a true freshman in 2022. This past season, Pope played in 11 games as a special teams player. Pope is leaving Alabama shortly after legendary Alabama head coach Nick Saban announced his retirement.

    Jake Pope announced his commitment to Georgia football via social media. Georgia fans and media were fired up to steal a player from the Crimson Tide.

    Pope’s commitment

    Kirby Smart is hyped

    Pope made a big hit on Jermaine Burton

    UGA recruited Pope back in the day

    Pope has 3 years of eligibility

    BREAKING: Former Alabama DB Jake Pope has Committed to Georgia, he tells @on3sports

    The 6’1 200 DB from Buford, GA will have 3 years of eligibility remaining

    “They showed a tremendous amount of want for me & I couldn’t be happier to move onto the next chapter.”… pic.twitter.com/aZK3900BUp

    — Hayes Fawcett (@Hayesfawcett3) January 13, 2024

    Pope after Nick Saban retired

    I leave for dinner & Georgia promptly lands a former Buford* product, Alabama transfer DB Jake Pope.

    Saban domino.

    — J.C. Shelton (@JCShelton_) January 13, 2024

    Welp… it isn’t Caleb Downs, but we got Jake Pope from Bama.

    — Joe sweat (@JoeSweat21) January 13, 2024

    Stop worrying about Caleb downs and enjoy the commitment of Jake Pope! Come on guys have you guys not learned anything in the Kirby Smart development era at Georgia?!!?!?

    — Jack Moreno (@ugajack19) January 13, 2024

    Story originally appeared on UGA Wire

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