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🏈 Good morning to all, however particularly to …

THE LOS ANGELES RAMS

Do not look now, however these Rams, whose offense can run as sizzling as anybody’s, have their protection going robust now, too. Los Angeles made life depressing on Sam Darnold and the Vikings offense en path to a 27-9 win.

• Matthew Stafford threw a landing to Kyren Williams on the opening drive, and the protection took over from there. The Rams sacked Darnold 9 instances, tying an NFL playoff file.
• That included an Ahkello Witherspoon strip sack through which Jared Verse scooped up the ball and went 57 yards for a landing shortly earlier than halftime.
• Give great credit score to Rams coordinator Chris Shula and his complete protection, a particularly younger unit that’s practically $38 million cheaper than the next-cheapest protection within the NFL.

What a outstanding rally from this staff, not simply this week, when the sport received moved to Arizona on account of the wildfires, however this season and the previous few seasons. The Rams went all-in on 2021 and gained all of it. Then got here a attempting 2022 that had Sean McVay contemplating retirement because the staff paid the piper following its win-now investments.

However then the staff began hitting on picks. Stafford received a celebrity in Puka Nacua, a 2023 fifth-rounder, and Williams, a 2022 fifth-rounder, emerged, too. The very line of defense that simply destroyed Minnesota is nearly completely homegrown. Les Snead went from “F— them picks” to cherishing them and capitalizing on them.

That is the way you lengthen a Tremendous Bowl window. The Rams have gone from 1-4 to the divisional spherical, the place they will face the Eagles, and although Philadelphia is favored, the Rams would possibly simply be the staff no person desires to see this postseason.

Here is the divisional spherical schedule:

Saturday, Jan. 18

• (4) Texans at (1) Chiefs, 4:30 p.m.
• (6) Commanders at (1) Lions, 8 p.m.

Sunday, Jan. 19

• (4) Rams at (2) Eagles, 3 p.m.
• (3) Ravens at (2) Payments, 6:30 p.m.

😃 Honorable mentions

🏈 And never such a very good morning for …

SAM DARNOLD AND THE MINNESOTA VIKINGS

9 days in the past, the Vikings had an opportunity to earn the NFC’s No. 1 seed, first-round bye and home-field benefit. Right now, their season is over. In between, Darnold produced stinkers on the 2 greatest phases of his skilled profession.

That is devastating. Minnesota gained 14 video games, the second-most in franchise historical past. They beat everybody not named the Lions or Rams. If you wish to take the optimistic view, you’ll be able to say the Vikings did all of this in what was supposedly a “rebuilding” yr — or at the very least a bridge yr — from the Kirk Cousins period to the J.J. McCarthy one.

However that is not how the NFL works, particularly not when you’ve got Justin Jefferson and a stalwart protection and many expertise. Seeing nice seasons evaporate like this — and make no mistake, this was an amazing season — hurts. So much.

It is honest to surprise what’s subsequent for Darnold — he was certainly one of Wild Card Weekend’s greatest losers, a product of him holding the ball too lengthy behind a disjointed offensive line, however what’s subsequent for Minnesota? It would be a bit simpler if we had seen McCarthy play, or if he at the very least received a yr’s value of follow. However McCarthy tore his meniscus in August and had a second surgical procedure in November. If Darnold does not return, Minnesota’s proficient, win-now roster will rely upon what is actually a second-year rookie.

It does not finish there. What number of good years do Harrison Smith (35) or Stephon Gilmore (34) or Aaron Jones (30) have. Will they even be again? What about Brian Flores, a well-liked teaching candidate who overhauled the protection?

Within the NFL, opening a championship window takes loads of time, effort and, frankly, luck. However these home windows can shut within the blink of an eye fixed, a brutal actuality of a brutal sport. Minnesota’s championship window would possibly be large open. McCarthy would possibly open it even wider. However the uncertainty is rarely simple to swallow.

😖 Not so honorable mentions

🏈 Cowboys, Mike McCarthy cut up: Exploring Dallas’ choices, together with … Deion Sanders?!

Greater than every week after many groups started their teaching search, the Cowboys determined they’d have one, too. Dallas and Mike McCarthy failed to come back to an settlement on a brand new contract, which means they’ll go their separate methods.

McCarthy’s contract formally ends right this moment, and apparently staff and coach hadn’t even opened contract negotiations as of Monday. That, after all, begs the query: “What on Earth had been the Cowboys doing for the previous week?” As our teaching interview tracker signifies, the six different groups with a training emptiness had an enormous head begin on Dallas, and the Patriots already made a rent.

Troy Aikman ripped how issues went down in Dallas, saying “There’s not an actual plan,” and I 100% agree. This can be a dangerous search for Jerry Jones, even when, as Jeff Kerr says, transferring on from McCarthy was the fitting choice. Some homeowners battle as a result of they mettle in personnel, others get it unsuitable as a result of they do not spend massive cash, and nonetheless others falter as a result of they need all the eye. However this is the factor about Jones: He checks all three bins.

So now, after delaying and delaying, the Cowboys wish to transfer shortly, and their search is already appropriately headline-grabbing: Invoice Belichick could possibly be atop the wishlist, although he already spurned the Raiders … and accepted a job to teach at Chapel Hill. After which there’s this — Jones and Deion Sanders have reportedly been in touch.

Jared Dubin has a full record of potential candidates, from ones that make precise sense to Jones connections to outside-the-box choices. As for that first class …

• Dubin: “Among the many names on this portion of the record, [Lions DC] Aaron Glenn is likely to be the most definitely. He’s each a critical candidate and has ties to the Cowboys group, having performed there below Invoice Parcells in 2005 and 2006. Glenn has achieved an amazing job with Detroit’s protection (and New Orleans’ earlier than that), and the Jones household loves itself a well-recognized face.”

McCarthy, regardless of his powerful last season in Dallas, went 49-35 there and had three 12-win seasons. He gained a Tremendous Bowl with the Packers. He’ll have choices, too — even perhaps in a reunion with Aaron Rodgers.

🥊 Tyson Fury retires … but once more

Two-time world heavyweight champion Tyson Fury has introduced his second third fourth retirement from boxing. Whether or not this one shall be a everlasting one, solely time will time.

• Fury, 36, is among the biggest boxers of his technology. He defeated Wladimir Klitschko in 2015 to say IBF, WBA and WBO titles, although he shortly misplaced the IBF belt for going forward with a rematch with Klitschko as a substitute of dealing with Vyacheslav Glazkov. (The rematch by no means occurred, both.)
• Fury later failed a drug check and was suspended; he additionally had psychological well being struggles.
• Fury returned in 2018 and fought thrice, together with an all-time nice battle — a cut up draw — in opposition to Deontay Wilder. Fury beat Wilder of their rematch in 2020 to turn into WBC champion and once more defeated Wilder in 2021.
• In Might 2024, Fury fought Oleksandr Usyk however misplaced, the primary lack of his profession. Fury additionally misplaced to Usyk in December’s rematch.

Once more, although, we’ll see if this lasts. Fury has retired in 2013, 2017 and 2022, and with a big-money bout in opposition to Anthony Joshua probably within the making. So it will not precisely be a shock if Fury reneges on his 2025 retirement, too.

📺 What we’re watching Tuesday

🏀 Cavaliers at Pacers, 7 p.m. on TNT/truTV
🏀 No. 15 Mississippi State at No. 1 Auburn (M), 7 p.m. on SEC Community
🏀 No. 21 Ole Miss at No. 4 Alabama (M), 7 p.m. on ESPNU
🏀 No. 11 Texas A&M at No. 8 Kentucky (M), 7 p.m. on ESPN2
🏀 No. 24 Minnesota at No. 8 Maryland (W), 7 p.m. on BTN
🏀 Miami at No. 3 Duke (M), 9 p.m. on ESPN
🏀 Nuggets at Mavericks, 9:30 p.m. on TNT/truTV