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Paul Finebaum: SEC has been ‘terrible’ in college football bowl season

One of the bigger stories to come out of this college football postseason has been the Southeastern Conference’s performance, and whether the SEC has lost its seat on the throne as the sport’s top conference.

After beginning with five teams in the College Football Playoff, the SEC has one team remaining: No. 6 Mississippi, which faces No. 10 Miami in the CFP Fiesta Bowl semifinal on Thursday, Jan. 8. Texas A&M and Oklahoma were upset in CFP first-round games by Miami and Alabama, who was then thumped 38-3 by Indiana in the Rose Bowl. That just covers the surface of the SEC’s struggles this postseason.

It’s a performance stat line ESPN’s Paul Finebaum couldn’t defend during Tuesday’s edition of ‘First Take.’

‘I’ve been on that hill Stephen A, and I’m getting destroyed. There’s no way to defend the SEC. It’s been terrible,’ Finebaum said.

Excluding CFP games and CFP bowl games, the SEC went 1-5 in bowls this season, with the most notable win being Texas’ win over Michigan in the Citrus Bowl thanks to a career day from Arch Manning. Of those five losses, two of them came against the Big Ten: Illinois over No. 23 Tennessee in the Music City Bowl and Iowa over No. 12 Vanderbilt.

The SEC sustained a loss in the Rose Bowl to the Big Ten with Alabama’s 35-point blowout loss to Indiana. In an SEC-vs.-SEC matchup in the Sugar Bowl, Trinidad Chambliss led Ole Miss to upset No. 3 Georgia with a dominant fourth-quarter performance.

Though he did mention Ole Miss is still in the CFP and has a chance at giving the SEC its first national championship since Georgia went back-to-back in the 2022-23, Finebaum didn’t stop there.

‘I’m sure somebody at the SEC offices is whispering Ole Miss can win it all. That would solve some of the wounds, but this has been a long year for the SEC,’ Finebaum continued. ‘… It’s a rough year for the SEC. Ole Miss is it regardless of the Lane Kiffin story.

‘… If Ole Miss loses Thursday night and I’m sitting here having to defend this league to you Stephen A, saying ‘Oh no big deal that it’s three straight years without an SEC team in the national championship game,’ there is no defense.’

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Cowboys fire defensive coordinator after single season

Matt Eberflus’ debut season with the Dallas Cowboys won’t have a follow-up.

The team on Tuesday fired the embattled defensive coordinator, marking yet another shift for a unit that found itself under fire in 2025.

‘Having known Matt Eberflus for decades now, we have tremendous respect and appreciation for him as a coach and a person,’ Cowboys owner Jerry Jones said in a statement. ‘After reviewing and discussing the results of our defensive performance this season, though, it was clear that change is needed. This is the first step in that process, and we will continue that review as it applies to reaching our much higher expectations.’

Eberflus, who was the Chicago Bears’ head coach from 2022-24, was hired last January to bring a steadying head to first-year head coach Brian Schottenheimer’s staff. But Dallas ended the year ranked last in scoring defense, with its 511 points surrendered representing a franchise worst.

Despite Dak Prescott leading an attack that ranked second in yards per game, the Cowboys finished 7-9-1 and missed the playoffs.

Jones had grown increasingly vocal in his public criticisms of the defense in recent weeks. He made it clear, however, that he didn’t believe Eberflus was the sole party at fault for the unit’s performance.

“Make no mistake about it: Everybody had their finger in what we did out there defensively. Everybody,’ Jones said. ‘It’s not just a one-man blame at all. I say that because therein lies what you have to sit down and figure out, what, if anything, you want to change.

‘We’ll get to that pronto. Everybody involved in this thing, I’m sure, has been thinking ahead about how to adjust out of our results this year.’

The outlook of the defense underwent a major shift in late August when star pass rusher Micah Parsons was traded to the Green Bay Packers. Jones justified the move, which came as tensions regarding Parsons’ contract negotiation boiled over, by pointing to the improvements Dallas could make in its run defense. But the unit would struggle throughout the season against the pass, suffering repeated coverage breakdowns while struggling to generate a consistent edge rush.

Acquiring All-Pro defensive tackle Quinnen Williams at the trade deadline briefly reinvigorated the unit, which found some success with the deployment of five-man fronts. But the defense reverted back to its early-season form down the stretch, with Eberflus’ move from the sideline to the coaches’ box yielding little change.

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Iran protesters emboldened by Trump admin’s Persian messaging after Obama-Biden inaction, activists say

The State Department has intensified its criticism of Iran’s regime on its Persian-language account since the outbreak of nationwide protests against the ayatollahs, mirroring President Donald Trump’s forceful warning to Tehran.

Trump recently posted, ‘If Iran shots (sic) and violently kills peaceful protesters, which is their custom, the United States of America will come to their rescue. We are locked and loaded and ready to go. Thank you for your attention to this matter! President DONALD J.TRUMP.’

‘President Trump’s latest truth social post regarding Iran speaks for itself,’ a U.S. State Department spokesperson told Fox News Digital on Tuesday.

The State Department’s reinforcement of Trump’s pledge to aid Iranian demonstrators comes amid reports that protesters had taken control of many streets in Abdanan, in Ilam province in western Iran, on Tuesday. They chanted ‘Death to Khamenei’ and ‘This year is a year of blood, Seyed Ali (Khamenei) will be overthrown,’ according to videos sent to Iran International news organization.

The State Department’s Persian-language account, @USABehFarsi, appeared to issue a stark warning to Iran’s totalitarian rulers. ‘President Trump is a man of action. If you didn’t know before, now you do. Don’t mess with President Trump.’ The black-and-white picture showed Trump with his leadership team watching elite U.S. army forces seize the former Iran-backed Venezuelan dictator Nicolás Maduro.

Trump’s social media posts and the statements coming from the State Department’s account have emboldened Iranians both inside and outside of the country.

Potkin Azarmehr, a British-Iranian journalist, noted the contrast with previous administrations. ‘Well, what a contrast to Obama’s time when protesters in Iran in 2009 were angrily chanting, ‘Obama, are you with us or with them?’ Any international support, whether at grassroots level or government level is encouraging. Knowing that the world knows about you,’ he added that ‘The question is where are the Western activist elite protesters? Why are they not protesting? Are they on the side of the ayatollahs? An archaic religious apartheid?’

Iran analyst Alirzeza Nader said, ‘I think State is right to say that the alternative to the current regime will come from inside Iran. And that Iranians will choose their own leaders. Yes, it’s definitely better now. Unfortunately, the Obama and Biden administrations pushed the reformist line (the Reformist line espoused by Rouhani and Khatami). My advice to the Trump administration: stay neutral when it comes to the opposition’s leadership. Let Iranians figure it out.’

The former Iranian presidents, Hassan Rouhani and Mohammad Khatami, promised mild reforms but remain wedded to the Islamic Republic of Iran — a regime that has been repeatedly classified by the State Department as a leading state sponsor of terrorism.

Nadav Mohebb, who worked as a Persian media analyst for the State Department’s Public Affairs Bureau, said about the State Department’s Persian-language X account that ‘During the Biden administration, this account was effectively turned into a ghost town and largely lost its relevance and impact.’

He said, ‘Following President Trump’s recent tweet, we have seen a renewed level of activity reminiscent of his first term — an approach that has again drawn the attention of Iranians. Trump’s message effectively removed the account’s excessive caution, and over the past four days its anti-regime tone has noticeably intensified.’

Mohebb said, ‘The account should avoid involvement in opposition infighting, remain sensitive to Iranian public sentiment, and operate in alignment with the prevailing mood of Persian Twitter. I hope Trump’s warning message to the regime will serve as a catalyst for upgrading the messaging strategy of this account and restoring its former effectiveness.’

Reza Parchizadeh, an Iranian-American expert on the regime, said, ‘The State Department’s Persian-language account is performing effectively. Its messaging is deliberately structured to project a sense of American support and hope toward Iranian protesters, while also attempting to reflect the breadth and diversity of protest activity rather than treating it episodically or selectively. In itself, this represents a notable shift in approach.’

He noted, ‘The Obama era was fundamentally different in orientation and intent. That administration prioritized reaching a diplomatic accommodation with the Islamic Republic and reintegrating the regime into the international system. Within that framework, popular protests and organized opposition inside Iran were largely downplayed by the State Department in order to avoid complicating negotiations or signaling regime vulnerability.’

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Comer vows Minnesota fraud probe will expand to other states amid mounting scrutiny

House Republicans’ investigation into fraud within Minnesota’s social programs is likely to expand, House Oversight Committee Chairman James Comer, R-Ky., told Fox News Digital.

‘We need to know how deep this fraud in taxpayer-funded programs runs, not just in Minnesota, but across the country. The House Oversight Committee will expand its investigation to other states, because waste, fraud, and abuse cannot be tolerated anywhere,’ Comer said Tuesday.

The House Oversight Committee is probing allegations that federal and state funds were misused in Minnesota, an investigation that’s thrust top officials in the state government under scrutiny.

It’s also proved to be a potent political cudgel for Republicans against progressive leaders like Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz and state Attorney General Keith Ellison.

Both were summoned to Capitol Hill by Comer, who is holding a pair of high-profile hearings in the coming weeks while the federal government investigates allegations of fraud.

The first such event, taking place on Wednesday, will feature testimony from three Republicans in the state legislature. Walz and Ellison were summoned for a follow-up hearing on Feb. 10.

Comer said he would use the probe ‘as a blueprint to expand oversight and pursue accountability in other states’ as well.

It comes after Walz announced he would drop his bid for a third term as governor on Monday, citing the fervor around the fraud investigations.

‘Every minute that I spend defending my own political interests would be a minute I can’t spend defending the people of Minnesota against the criminals who prey on our generosity, and the cynics who want to prey on our differences,’ Walz said.

Walz previously said his administration has taken steps to crack down on the fraud, but argued federal officials are overinflating and politicizing the scope of the damage.

But Comer said Walz still ‘needs to testify under oath about what he knew, and when he knew it, about this massive fraud and money-laundering operation.’

Federal prosecutors in Minnesota have charged multiple people with stealing more than $240 million from the Federal Child Nutrition Program through the Minnesota-based nonprofit Feeding Our Future.

However, the probe has since widened to multiple state-run programs being investigated for potential fraud.

Childcare providers receiving state funding, mainly within the Somali community, are also under scrutiny.

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Trump pitches cognitive tests for leaders, questions if Harris, Walz, Newsom could pass

President Donald Trump floated that all presidents and vice presidents should take cognitive tests, days after bragging that he successfully completed a third cognitive exam. 

Trump, 79, has frequently taken aim at former President Joe Biden amid multiple books and reports detailing the decline of Biden’s mental faculties while in office, and similarly cast doubt on whether other Democrats could pass a cognitive test. 

‘Do you think Walz could pass a cognitive test … Do you think Kamala could?’ Trump said Tuesday at the Kennedy Center for the House GOP Member Retreat. ‘I don’t think Gavin could. He’s got a good line of crap, but other than that, he couldn’t pass.’ 

Trump was referring to former Vice President Kamala Harris, Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz and California Gov. Gavin Newsom.

Spokespeople for Harris and Walz did not immediately respond to a request for comment from Fox News Digital. 

In response to a request for comment, Newsom spokesperson Izzy Gardon replied to Fox News Digital: ‘HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA.’ 

Trump’s statements come after he claimed he ‘ACED’ another cognitive examination, and backs mandatory cognitive exams to prevent ”STUPID’ or INCOMPETENT PEOPLE!’ from leading the country. 

‘The White House Doctors have just reported that I am in ‘PERFECT HEALTH,’ and that I ‘ACED’ (Meaning, was correct on 100% of the questions asked!), for the third straight time, my Cognitive Examination, something which no other President, or previous Vice President, was willing to take,’ Trump posted to Truth Social Friday.

Trump also said Tuesday that he faces a catch-22 when it comes to completing a medical exam — or not — amid recent questions surrounding his health. For example, concern has stemmed from bruising on his hands and reports regarding swollen ankles. 

‘If I don’t do a medical exam, they say, ‘Trump’s not doing an exam. There must be something wrong with him.’ If I do the exam, they say, ‘Why did he do this? Why did he do this part of an exam? He did too much. There’s something wrong with him,’’ Trump said. 

Trump’s comments come as he clarified to The Wall Street Journal in a piece published Thursday that he received a CT scan, and not a more thorough, time-consuming MRI scan, for a medical examination he underwent in October. Trump said in the interview that he regrets taking the CT scan because it provided ‘ammunition’ to those who have questioned his overall health. 

The October visit came after Trump’s annual physical at Walter Reed National Military Medical Center in Maryland. Afterward, White House physician, Navy Capt. Sean Barbabella, claimed that the president ‘remains in excellent health.’

Meanwhile, the White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt has dismissed questions about Trump’s bruised hands and attributed the markings in July to ‘frequent handshaking and the use of aspirin.’ Likewise, she said that Trump’s swollen legs are a ‘benign and common condition’ that sometimes plagues those over the age of 70. 

Fox News’ Emma Colton contributed to this report. 

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Sanders slams Trump’s Venezuela strike after years of soft rhetoric on socialist strongmen

Sen. Bernie Sanders, I-Vt., railed against President Donald Trump’s weekend strikes in Venezuela, but his criticism comes after a history of taking a softer approach to socialist dictators like former Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro.

Sanders, like several of his colleagues in the Senate Democratic caucus, argued that Trump’s decision to strike Venezuela’s capital Caracas without congressional approval broke the law and was another instance of the administration leapfrogging Congress’ war powers.

‘Donald Trump has, once again, shown his contempt for the Constitution and the rule of law,’ Sanders said in a statement. ‘The President of the United States does NOT have the right to unilaterally take this country to war, even against a corrupt and brutal dictator like Maduro.’

But the lawmaker’s decision to call Maduro a dictator is a shift. In previous years, Sanders has declined to place that label on him.

When Sanders was on the presidential campaign trail in 2019, he opted not to call Maduro a dictator, instead saying he would support an effort to ensure free and fair elections in the country.

‘I think it’s fair to say that the last election was undemocratic, but there are still Democratic operations taking place in that country,’ Sanders said during a town hall at the time. ‘The point is, what I’m calling for right now is an internationally supervised fair election.’

Maduro, who was first elected in 2013, is accused of human rights abuses and working with cartels and narco gangs in South America and Mexico to distribute illicit drugs into the U.S.

However, Sanders has often accused Trump of engaging in authoritarianism.

‘Under this administration, authoritarianism has taken root in our country,’ Sanders said on X in 2020. ‘As long as I am here, I will work with progressives, with moderates, and, yes, with conservatives to preserve this nation from a threat that so many of our heroes fought and died to defeat.’

The lawmaker has also been supportive of policies under former Cuban dictator Fidel Castro. During his last presidential run, Sanders came under fire after a speech he made in the 1980s when he lauded the socialist policies installed by Castro and his regime.

Sanders was pressed on the speech during another town hall event on the campaign trail, where he noted that he had been consistently critical of authoritarian regimes across the globe.

Still, he contended that ‘there were a lot of folks in Cuba at that point who were illiterate. He formed the literacy brigade.’

‘You know what, I think teaching people to read and write is a good thing,’ Sanders said.

Fox News Digital did not immediately hear back from Sanders’ office for comment.

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Dem senator introduces bill to stop Trump from invading ‘another country on a whim’ over Greenland

Sen. Ruben Gallego, D-Ariz., introduced legislation aimed at blocking President Donald Trump from invading Greenland on Tuesday.

Gallego announced the legislative push on X, saying Congress must stop Trump ‘before he invades another country on a whim.’ The bill is one of several Democrat-backed efforts seeking to stop Trump from taking military action against other countries following the capture of now former Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro.

‘Families are getting crushed by rising grocery and housing costs, inflation is up, and Trump’s name is all over the Epstein files. Instead of doing anything to fix those problems, Trump is trying to distract people by threatening to start wars and invade countries – first in Venezuela, and now against our NATO ally Denmark,’ Gallego said in a statement.

‘What’s happening in Venezuela shows us that we can’t just ignore Trump’s reckless threats. His dangerous behavior puts American lives and our global credibility at risk. I’m introducing this amendment to make it clear that Congress will not bankroll illegal, unnecessary military action, and to force Republicans to choose whether they’re going to finally stand up or keep enabling Trump’s chaos,’ he added.

President Donald Trump told reporters on Air Force One over the weekend that the U.S. needs Greenland, a Danish territory, for ‘national security.’

White House deputy chief of staff for policy Stephen Miller doubled down on Trump’s remarks on Monday, telling CNN that Greenland ‘should be part of the United States.’

CNN anchor Jake Tapper pressed Miller about whether the Trump administration could rule out military action to take the Arctic island.

‘Greenland has a population of 30,000 people,’ Miller said. ‘The real question is by what right does Denmark assert control over Greenland. What is the basis of their territorial claim? What is their basis of having Greenland as a colony of Denmark?’

‘The United States is the power of NATO. For the United States to secure the Arctic region, to protect and defend NATO and NATO interests, obviously Greenland should be part of the United States,’ he added.

Greenlandic Prime Minister Jens-Frederik Nielsen said in a Monday statement posted on Facebook that his country is ‘not an object of superpower rhetoric.’

Danish Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen argued that a U.S. takeover of Greenland would effectively destroy NATO.

‘But I also want to make it clear that if the U.S. chooses to attack another NATO country militarily, then everything stops. Including our NATO and thus the security that has been provided since the end of the Second World War,’ she said.

Fox News’ Ashley Carnahan contributed to this report.

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College football transfer portal tracker: Today’s commitments (Jan. 6)

The college football transfer portal opened Friday, Jan. 2, and while thousands of players remain available, the best name (Hollywood Smothers) and most of the top quarterbacks have already found new homes (including one with a high-profile change of heart).

The portal runs through Jan. 16, with an extra five-day window (Jan. 20-24) for teams playing in the national championship.

We’ll keep you posted with daily live updates of portal commitments.

∎ Transfers by conference: SEC | Big Ten | ACC | Big 12

HIT REFRESH FOR UPDATE.

Today’s transfer portal commitments

QB

Byrum Brown: South Florida to Auburn
Ashton Daniels: Auburn to Florida State
Miles O’Neill: Texas A&M to North Carolina
Austin Simmons: Ole Miss to Missouri

RB

Ju’Juan Johnson: LSU to Syracuse
Jasper Parker: Michigan to Arkansas
Evan Pryor: Cincinnati to Florida
Travis Terrell: Jackson State to Purdue

WR

Arhmad Branch: Purdue to South Florida
DJ Epps: Troy to West Virginia
Tank Hawkins: Florida to Washington State
Carter Pabst: Washington State to Iowa State

TE

Josh Phifer: James Madison to UCLA

OL

Max Anderson: Tennessee to Kentucky
Tree Babalade: South Carolina to Nebraska
Blake Cherry: Arkansas to Wisconsin
Carius Curne: LSU to Ole Miss
Eryx Daugherty: Boston College to Louisville
Tyler Gibson: Charlotte to UCF
Vaea Ikakoula: Iowa State to Penn State
Bradyn Joiner: Purdue to Florida State
Tolu Olajide: New Hampshire to Wake Forest
Nate Pabst: Bowling Green to Florida State
T.J. Shanahan: Penn State to Florida
Braden Smith: Tarleton State to Iowa State
Sean Thompkins: Baylor to North Carolina
Ory Williams: LSU to Tennessee

DL

Jonathan Bax: TCU to FAU
Kahmari Brown: Elon to Iowa
BJ Carter: Iowa State to Marshall
Javion Hilson: Missouri to Virginia Tech
Santana Hooper: Tulane to Colorado
Carlon Jones: USC to Arkansas
Jerry Lawson: Louisville to Oklahoma State
Rasheed Lovelace: Nicholls State to James Madison
Alexander McPherson: Colorado to Penn State
Armstrong Nnodim: Oklahoma State to Penn State
Lucas Samsula: Wyoming to Utah
John Walker: UCF to Ohio State
Billy Walton: SMU to Oklahoma State
Keanu Williams: UCLA to Penn State

LB

Jovan Clark: Washington State to Ball State
Gideon Lampron: Bowling Green to Colorado
Mekhi Mason: Louisiana Tech to Kansas State
Ethan Wesloski: North Texas to Oklahoma State
Robert Woodyard Jr.: Auburn to Missouri

DB

Braden Awls: Toledo to Iowa State
Ty Benefield: Boise State to LSU
C.J. Coombes: Wofford to North Texas
Teddy Foster: Florida to South Florida
Aaron Gates: Florida to Kentucky
Kingston Lopa: Oregon to Cal
Aydan West: Michigan State to Minnesota
Bryce West: Ohio State to Wisconsin
Ade Willie: Michigan State to North Carolina
Marcus Wimberly: Oklahoma to Utah
Malcolm Ziglar: North Carolina to South Florida

K

Patrick Durkin: Tulane to Florida

P

Alec Clark: Tulane to Florida

College football 2026 transfer portal dates: When does transfer portal open, close?

The portal period now runs from Jan. 2-16, with an extra five-day window (Jan. 20-24) for teams playing in the national championship. The spring portal window in April is no longer a part of the schedule, so January is the only open window for teams to add via the portal in 2026.

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NFL coaching moves live updates: Latest on teams’ searches

The first 24 hours after the completion of Week 18 brought about four firings in the head-coaching ranks, bringing the total number of vacancies to six. But further changes are still possible, particularly among assistant coaches and coordinators. Meanwhile, the organizations with openings could continue to set their interview slates in the coming days by making requests to speak with various candidates.

USA TODAY Sports will have live updates on all the latest news and rumors on coaching moves and searches, so check back often throughout the day:

Kliff Kingsbury out as Commanders reset coaching staff under Dan Quinn

Kliff Kingsbury might end up getting head-coaching interviews this cycle, but he won’t have the option of returning to the Washington Commanders.

Kingsbury and the Commanders mutually agreed to part ways on Tuesday, according to multiple reports.

Kingsbury was expected to be one of the hottest names in this year’s coaching cycle entering the year. But the Commanders offense wilted with Jayden Daniels missing all but seven games due to multiple injuries.

The Commanders also fired defensive coordinator Joe Whitt Jr., who had been stripped of defensive play-calling duties in November.

Titans setting schedule for head-coaching interviews

The Tennessee Titans are wasting no time in getting their head-coaching search underway.

The Titans will interview Indianapolis Colts defensive coordinator Lou Anarumo on Wednesday, Kansas City Chiefs offensive coordinator Matt Nagy on Thursday and former Cleveland Browns coach Kevin Stefanski on Saturday.

None of the coaches on the Titans’ established interview list have to wait before speaking with the team, with Denver Broncos defensive coordinator Vance Joseph permitted to meet this week given that his team is on a bye. The Titans, however, still must satisfy the league’s Rooney Rule requirements before reaching a decision.

Matt Eberflus fired as Cowboys defensive coordinator

The Dallas Cowboys will have a fourth different defensive coordinator in four years.

The Cowboys on Tuesday fired Matt Eberflus, according to multiple reports, ending the tenure of a coach who oversaw a unit that surrendered a franchise-record 511 points.

Eberflus’ zone-heavy scheme drew significant scrutiny throughout the season, particularly as the offense led by Dak Prescott soared.

Which NFL head-coaching vacancy is best?

With Black Monday over, there are now six head-coaching vacancies throughout the NFL – though that number still could grow.

USA TODAY Sports’ Nate Davis took an in-depth look at each vacancy and ranked the opportunities from best to worst. With lackluster rosters and limited resources, the Atlanta Falcons and Arizona Cardinals finished at the bottom.

But what about the No. 1 team? Check out the story for the full breakdown.

Which NFL coaches have been fired?

The Arizona Cardinals fired Jonathan Gannon on Monday after three seasons.
The Las Vegas Raiders fired Pete Carroll on Monday after one season.
The Cleveland Browns fired Kevin Stefanski on Monday after six seasons.
The Atlanta Falcons fired Raheem Morris on Sunday after two seasons.
The New York Giants fired Brian Daboll in November.
The Tennessee Titans fired Brian Callahan in October.

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14 questions for 14 NFL teams on the road to Super Bowl 60

The NFL playoffs could be wide-open this year, with no single dominant team.
Several key players, including Patrick Mahomes and Nick Bosa, are out with injuries.
Many playoff teams face significant questions, from inexperienced QBs to inconsistent defenses.

Now comes the real drama.

After such a wild, unpredictable NFL regular season, the Road to Super Bowl 60 is set up to be one of most wide-open playoff tournaments in recent history. I think.

Who ya got? You can surely make cases for several teams to wind up seizing the Lombardi Trophy at Levi’s Stadium on Feb. 8. And you might be right. Then again, no team is perfect, no team is dominant. And Patrick Mahomes is not a factor this time around.

There are flaws, questions and what-ifs for every team in the field. Such as …

1. Can the Eagles flick a switch that takes them back to the Super Bowl? They have looked like anything but defending champs yet still have a Vic Fangio-coordinated defense to be reckoned with. Whatever happened to Saquon Barkley? After cracking Y2K last season, he’s rushed for a little more than half that behind an out-of-sync line. He has to be the ticket for a Jalen Hurts-led unit that has lacked big-play rhythm.   

2. Does it matter that Patriots QB Drake Maye has zero playoff experience? We’ll see. A few months ago, few, if any, saw ‘MVP candidate’ in the second-year pro. He has grown up in a hurry, with props to Mike Vrabel and OC Josh McDaniel. And remember: TB12 had no playoff experience when he won a Super Bowl in Year 2. The bigger swing factor could involve top defenses like the units in Denver and Houston.  

3. What more can Kyle Shanahan squeeze from the injury-stung 49ers? For a two-time Super Bowl coach, this might be Shanahan’s best work yet. Never mind the lack of a pass rush, with Nick Bosa among casualties alongside heart-and-soul linchpin Fred Warner. They were one win from the No. 1 seed. Now the watch list includes Trent Williams (hamstring) and whatever creativity Shanahan can unleash in a pinch.

4. Can Josh Allen cover for the shaky Bills run defense? With playoff nemesis Mahomes not in the mix this time, you can’t blame the reigning NFL MVP for licking his chops like this might be the Super Bowl year. Yet the 28th-ranked run D, yielding 5.1 yards per rush, has allowed a few RBs rip off the type of huge yardage games (169, 170, 174, 148) that could be disastrous in the playoffs.

5. Does Aaron Rodgers have a storybook script for the Steelers? We saw why Mike Tomlin lured A-Rod to Pittsburgh with his poise in the clutch on Sunday night. Rodgers, 42, came for a shot at chasing another championship. The odds are so long – beginning with a matchup against Houston’s No. 1 defense. But Rodgers, leading a 25th-ranked unit, can tell you all about the time he won the Super Bowl as a sixth seed.

6. Do the Packers stand a chance without Micah Parsons? When Green Bay obtained the all-pro edge rusher in August, it was viewed as the missing piece for a championship puzzle. His impact, including 12 ½ sacks, was substantial. As is his absence. Since Parsons went down with a torn ACL in Week 15, the Packers haven’t won a game. The four-game losing streak is longest for any playoff team.

7. Will special teams cost the Rams again? In the Week 16 meltdown loss at Seattle, L.A. gave up a 58-yard punt-return TD and Harrison Mevis missed a 48-yard field goal try with 2:07 left in regulation. The mishaps cost coordinator Chase Blackburn his job – the first in-season staff firing ever by Sean McVay – as S-Teams gaffes have plagued the Rams all season. For all the pop on offense and defense, it takes three phases.

8. What makes the Jaguars so dangerous? Beyond the hot quarterback (Trevor Lawrence has a 15-1 TD-INT ratio since Week 13) and a defense that thrives on turnovers (31, second in the NFL) while stuffing the run (zero 75-yard rushers), consider quality wins. The Jags are 3-1 against other AFC playoff teams, splitting against Houston while posting convincing wins against the Chargers and Broncos.    

9. Did the Panthers peak a few weeks ago? Backing into the playoffs with a losing record (thanks, Atlanta) and back-to-back losses to end the regular season is never a good look. Now here comes the Rams, bringing the NFL’s No. 1 offense. Wait a minute. Carolina upset L.A. on Nov. 30 to improve to 7-6. That was then. Since then, the Panthers haven’t scored more than 20 points in dropping three of four games.

10. Have the Bears run out of last-minute magic? What an incredible worst-to-first rise in Year 1 under Ben Johnson. Like destiny? Chicago is the first team in NFL history to win six games in which it trailed in the final two minutes. Caleb Williams-armed crunch time confidence. Check. Just as essential: A 29th-ranked defense has collected an NFL-high 33 takeaways. This is not a typical formula. But they are here.

11. Will Justin Herbert hold up and give the Chargers a fighting chance? Jim Harbaugh’s rugged QB had surgery in early December to stabilize a fractured left hand and didn’t miss a start until resting in Week 18. Add layer to his toughness rep, which fits in a year his O-line lost both of its stud tackles to season-ending injuries. Under these conditions, Herbert tries to shake the 0-2 playoff monkey off his back.    

12. What can C.J. Stroud do to complement the top-ranked Texans defense? Sure, defense wins championships and Houston set franchise records for fewest points (17.3) and yards (277.2) to fortify an NFL-best 9-game win streak. Stroud rebounded after missing three games (concussion) but his unit has been sketchy for cashing in opportunities. Houston ranks 30th in the NFL with a red zone TD rate of 46.3%.

13. Will the Broncos offense buck a trend and start fast? Denver’s journey to a No. 1 seed came with 11 one-score victories, tied for most in the NFL. Impressive. Last season, the Broncos typically lost those one-possession encounters. Now they are so poised in crunch time. Yet stress might be lessened. Denver has generated just 36 points from its opening possession, including just three touchdowns.

14. What’s the warning sign attached to the Seahawks? Turnovers. No playoff team logged more giveaways than Seattle (28), with half of that total coming on INTs by Sam Darnold – who has thrown more picks (14) than any quarterback in the playoffs. Seattle has great balance with Top 10 units on offense and defense, plus stellar special teams. It has the ‘The 12s,’ too. Maybe turnovers will be an equalizer. Or not.

Contact Jarrett Bell at jbell@usatoday.com or follow on X: @JarrettBell

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