"We talk about that core. That core group is still intact -- and we've signed some back, some are up on contracts and that'll be ongoing. But, yeah, we absolutely do," Campbell said Monday of whether the Lions' window is still open. "I think the most important thing is you want to know you've got your culture, you've got your identity, and you've got players that fit into that, and we've got that. And we've got players in every pivotal position you can ask for to have success and those guys are made the right way, so, absolutely, our window is open."

Detroit claimed the No. 1 seed in the NFC for the first time in franchise history. But the Lions were blown out by the Washington Commanders, 45-31, on Saturday night at Ford Field. The abrupt end to a season in which the Lions were 15-2 is a difficult reality for Campbell and many of his players who felt the sting of a season-ending loss in the NFC Championship at San Francisco a year ago.

"We met two of those goals this year and, in a sense, went above and beyond what we were a year ago," Campbell said. "But yet, we didn't get any further and man, that's disappointing. But it also eats at me. That drives me. That motivates me."

Campbell said of the season finish: "We're going to come back stronger, we're going to learn from this, and it's just more fuel on the fire, is what it is."

The Lions re-signed multiple core players last offseason with new deals for quarterback Jared Goff, offensive tackle Penei Sewell and wide receiver Amon-Ra St. Brown.

While there are personnel holes to be filled, Campbell also has a coaching staff in flux. Offensive coordinator Ben Johnson has three known interviews for head-coaching vacancies and defensive coordinator Aaron Glenn is a popular candidate, too. Campbell said he reminded players and coaches there is a "next man up" mentality regardless of what happens with his top lieutenants.

With a 27-7 regular-season record the past two seasons, the win-now approach for the franchise won't change, Campbell said. He is prioritizing making certain Goff's comfort level in the offense doesn't decline.

"We're not going to allow that to happen," Campbell said. "Does it hurt to lose those guys? Absolutely. They're a part of what we've been here. They've been here for four years and they're one of the major reasons why we've been able to get to where we've been.

"We came out of the dump and got to where we're at, so I will forever be grateful for those guys and our team will. And is it a loss? Absolutely, it'd be a loss, but yet we move forward. This train rolls on and I'll find the next best guys for us."

Glenn, 52, conducted a virtual interview with the Jets regarding their head coaching vacancy on Jan. 9. He is also expected to meet in person with the New Orleans Saints.

Glenn's season ended Saturday when the top-seeded Lions lost 45-31 to the visiting Washington Commanders in an NFC divisional playoff game.

Glenn was a first-round pick (12th overall) by the Jets in 1994. The three-time Pro Bowl defensive back played the first eight of his 15 NFL seasons with New York and later worked as a scout for the franchise from 2012-13.

He has been Detroit's defensive coordinator since 2021 following stints as a defensive backs coach with the Saints (2016-20) and Cleveland Browns (2014-15).

The Jets fired head coach Robert Saleh after a 2-3 start this season and went 3-9 under interim coach Jeff Ulbrich.

Peters, 46, replaces Frank Pollack, fired by the Bengals on Jan. 6.

Peters was the O-line coach in New England this past season but was out of a job when the Patriots fired head coach Jerod Mayo after one season. Peters is a former assistant offensive line coach for the Cleveland Browns (2020-23).

The Bengals also named Michael McCarthy assistant offensive line coach. McCarthy, 39, was Peters' assistant in New England.

Quarterback Joe Burrow was sacked 48 times in 2024 after Cincinnati allowed 50 total sacks in 2023.

The Lions were bounced from the NFC field by the Washington Commanders, who were a 10-point underdog by kickoff on Saturday night. Money shifted to Washington as the number grew ahead of the game and it paid off in a 45-31 win. The Commanders had a moneyline of anywhere between +376 to +430 and wound up in their first NFC Championship game since 1991.

"The Lions losing was a great result for the futures market at BetMGM. On top of knocking our biggest liability out of the running, the Commanders win also ruined the popular chalk money line parlay of Lions, Chiefs, and Ohio State," Christian Cipollini, BetMGM trading manager, said Monday.

After wins at Tampa Bay and Detroit, the Commanders are ticketed for a third road game this weekend and their third matchup this season with NFC East division rival Philadelphia. The Eagles and Commanders split two entertaining games in the regular season.

FanDuel lists the Eagles as 5.5-point favorites Monday and the Commanders are fourth of the remaining four teams in the Super Bowl futures odds market. Kansas City is a 1.5-point favorite over the Buffalo Bills in the AFC Championship at ESPN Bet and Fan Duel.

BetMGM moved the Eagles from +400 to win the Super Bowl last week to current +180 odds, overtaking the Lions as the favorite.

The Chiefs went from +350 last week to +240, narrowly ahead of the Bills. Buffalo went from +400 to +250 and the Commanders moved from +3000 at kickoff of the Lions' game to +700 at BetMGM. FanDuel lists Washington at +750, the Eagles as the favorite at +180 and Kansas City (+220) ahead of the Bills (+250).

The most popular exact result Super Bowl matchup on the board at FanDuel and Draft Kings is the Chiefs beating the Eagles (+380), just ahead of the Eagles beating the Chiefs (+410).

Like Washington to keep it rolling? Consider the Commanders to beat the Chiefs (+1300) or Bills (+1600) at Fan Duel.

Washington rookie quarterback Jayden Daniels is +700 in the Super Bowl MVP futures market, fifth behind Eagles running back Saquon Barkley (+550) and quarterback Jalen Hurts (+400) and co-favorites Bills quarterback Josh Allen and Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes (+280) at Draft Kings.

Chiefs tight end Travis Kelce is sixth at +2800.

Kafka, 37, will get a longer look in New Orleans after being a finalist for Seattle's opening last winter. Weaver is again a finalist after bids with Washington and Atlanta a year ago. His second interview will be Wednesday, per the report.

Kafka has no experience leading an NFL team, but he has been the head coach for collegiate showcases in each of the past two seasons: the East-West Shrine Bowl on Feb. 1, 2024, and the upcoming Feb. 1 Senior Bowl.

He has been New York's offensive coordinator since 2022 and added the title of assistant head coach on Brian Daboll's staff in 2024.

The Giants finished 18th, 29th and 30th in the NFL in total offense from 2022-24 under Kafka.

A journeyman NFL quarterback who spent time with seven teams from 2010-15, Kafka joined Andy Reid's staff in Kansas City in 2017 and moved his way up to quarterbacks coach and passing game coordinator from 2020-21.

Weaver, 44, is in his first season as defensive coordinator with the Dolphins. He was a position coach on that side of the line with the New York Jets (2012), Buffalo Bills (2013), Cleveland Browns (2014-15), Houston Texans (2016-19) and Baltimore Ravens (2021-23) before becoming the Texans' DC in 2020.

The Saints' search has also included in-person interview with interim coach Darren Rizzi, who went 3-5 following the firing of Dennis Allen. New Orleans has had virtual interviews with offensive coordinators Kellen Moore and Joe Brady of the Philadelphia Eagles and Buffalo Bills, respectively.

Stafford had just thrown for 324 yards and two touchdowns in snowy Philadelphia, and had a comeback attempt fall just short in a 28-22 loss to the Eagles in a division-round playoff game. The Rams reached the Philadelphia 13-yard line in the final minute before the drive stalled.

"As far as my future goes, I mean, it's 30 minutes after our last game, so I'll take some time to think about it. I feel like I was playing some really good ball," Stafford told reporters afterward. The quarterback, who will turn 37 years old on Feb. 7, is under contract for two more seasons.

Stafford later said he enjoys competing and didn't sound ready to retire.

"I love being in those moments. Sure as hell not afraid of them. And competed my (expletive) off and it didn't go the way I wanted to today. Next time I'm out there, line it up. Let's do it again."

Coach Sean McVay, who guided the Rams to the Super Bowl title after the 2021 season, Stafford's first in Los Angeles, sounded equally disinterested in talking about the quarterback's future.

"I'm not really interested in talking about anything as it relates to next year," McVay said. "Right now, I'm just appreciative of this team."

The coach's comments certainly made it clear he has full confidence in Stafford, who played his first 12 seasons with the Detroit Lions before he was dealt to Los Angeles in March 2021 for two first-round draft picks, a third-round pick and quarterback Jared Goff.

"(Stafford) put us in a position to win that football game. That's who he is, and I'm not at all surprised. We all had the expectation with him leading the way that we were going to win that game," McVay said.

The coach added that he and the team "didn't see it going any other way than us winning that game 29-28."

In 222 career regular-season games, Stafford has completed 63.4 percent of his passes for 59,809 yards and 377 touchdowns, both good for 10th in league history.

The Eagles are the +180 favorite at DraftKings to win Super Bowl LIV ahead of Kansas City at +240 as the Chiefs chase a three-peat.

Philadelphia survived a late rally from the visiting Los Angeles Rams to win 28-22 in snowy conditions on Sunday. The Eagles were installed as a 4.5-point favorite by DraftKings at home against the Washington Commanders for the NFC Championship. Philadelphia is a 5.0-point favorite at some other sportsbooks, including BetRivers.

That's despite quarterback Jalen Hurts playing through a left leg injury suffered in the second half of Sunday's win over the Rams.

"It was a tough game, a challenging game," Hurts said after the game. "I was able to finish the game, and we'll see how the week goes."

The Eagles' Super Bowl odds shortened thanks in part to their upcoming opponent, with NFC East rival Washington taking out the No. 1-seeded Detroit Lions on Saturday. Rookie quarterback Jayden Daniels will attempt to continue the Cinderella run, with the Commanders holding by far the longest title odds remaining at +650.

The fourth and final team to join the conference championship fray was Buffalo, which survived a heavyweight battle at home against Baltimore on Sunday night. After Josh Allen was able to outduel fellow MVP candidate Lamar Jackson, he has now booked another highly anticipated playoff date against the Chiefs and Patrick Mahomes.

The Bills have slightly longer Super Bowl odds than the Chiefs at +270, with No. 1-seeded Kansas City installed as a slight 1.5-point favorite by DraftKings and BetRivers for the AFC Championship Game. The teams also met for the AFC title in the 2020 season, when the Chiefs emerged as a 38-24 winner.

Rapp was injured in the second quarter and initially termed questionable to return. He was ruled out midway through the third quarter.

Rapp was hurt during a play in which he was on the ground when hit by teammate Damar Hamlin. He was in visible pain when carted off the field with 6:13 left in the second quarter.

Rapp, 27, intercepted Baltimore's Lamar Jackson in the first quarter. He had two tackles.

In the regular season, Rapp had 82 tackles and two interceptions. He is in his second season with the Bills after playing his first four campaigns with the Los Angeles Rams, who selected him in the second round of the 2019 NFL Draft out of Washington.

Ray Davis rushed for a touchdown and the second-seeded Bills forced three turnovers while defeating the third-seeded Ravens in cold and icy conditions. The temperature was 19 degrees, with a feel-like temperature of 12 at kickoff.

Buffalo will visit the top-seeded Kansas City Chiefs in the AFC Championship Game on Jan. 26. It is a rematch of the 2020 season AFC title game when the Chiefs posted a 38-24 victory over Buffalo.

A dropped two-point conversion pass to Mark Andrews prevented the Ravens from tying the score with 1:33 remaining.

Lamar Jackson completed 18 of 25 passes for 254 yards and two touchdowns for the Ravens but also was responsible for two turnovers (one interception, one lost fumble). Baltimore's Derrick Henry rushed for 84 yards and a touchdown and Rashod Bateman and Isaiah Likely had scoring receptions.

Allen completed 16 of 22 passes for 127 yards while gaining the victory over Jackson. The two are the leading NFL MVP candidates.

Jackson finished strong by driving the Ravens 88 yards on eight plays and hit Likely on a 24-yard touchdown catch to bring Baltimore within two with 1:33 left. On the two-point play, Jackson rolled right and tossed the ball to a wide-open Andrews, who dropped the ball in the end zone.

Buffalo's Rasul Douglas recovered the ensuing onside kick and Ty Johnson cemented the victory with a 17-yard run.

Baltimore trailed by 11 points at halftime before controlling the third quarter.

Justin Tucker kicked a 47-yard field goal to bring the Ravens within 21-13 with 9:47 left in the third quarter.

Henry scored on a 5-yard rush with 1:37 remaining in the third. The Ravens went for a tying two-point conversion but Buffalo's Matt Milano tipped away Jackson's pass.

Tyler Bass made a 51-yard field goal to increase the Bills' lead to 24-19 with 12:04 left in the game.

Later, Jackson hit Andrews for 16 yards to the Buffalo 44-yard line. But Bernard punched the ball out of Andrews' hands and jumped on it at the Bills' 46 with 8:41 remaining.

Allen rushed for two first-half touchdowns as Buffalo held a 21-10 lead.

The Ravens took a 7-0 lead on Jackson's 16-yard touchdown pass to Bateman. The Bills tied the score on Davis' 1-yard run with 4:43 left in the opening quarter.

Jackson turned the ball over twice in the half -- the first when he was intercepted by Buffalo's Taylor Rapp in the first quarter.

A more costly turnover occurred in the second quarter when a play was off-kilter due to a high and wide shotgun snap. Jackson was able to corral the ball and tried to run as the ball slipped out of his hands while Buffalo's Damar Hamlin was trying to make an ankle-high tackle.

Miller scooped up the ball and raced 39 yards to the Bills' 24-yard line. Four plays later, Allen scored from the 1 to give Buffalo a 14-7 advantage with 8:49 left in the half.

Tucker booted a 26-yard field goal with 3:43 left in the half, before Allen's 4-yard run gave Buffalo a 21-10 lead with 16 seconds remaining.

The Ravens had listed Flowers as doubtful for the playoff game because of a knee injury, but head coach John Harbaugh held out hope on Friday that the second-year receiver had "a chance" to play.

Flowers missed the entire week of practice after being sidelined all last week and sitting out Baltimore's wild-card win over the Pittsburgh Steelers on Jan. 11.

He sustained the knee injury during Baltimore's 35-10 victory over the Cleveland Browns in the regular-season finale on Jan. 4.

Selected to his first Pro Bowl, Flowers led the Ravens this season with 74 receptions for 1,059 yards. He also caught four touchdowns.

Flowers, 24, started all 16 games as a rookie in 2023, when he had 77 receptions for 858 yards and five TDs, and rushed eight times for 56 yards and another score. The Ravens selected him with the 22nd overall pick of the 2023 NFL Draft out of Boston College.

The Ravens' other inactives are running back Rasheen Ali, linebacker Adisa Isaac, center Nick Samac, nose tackle Josh Tupou and safeties Beau Brade and Marcus Williams.

The Bills' inactive players are wide receiver Jalen Virgil, defensive tackle DeWayne Carter, cornerbacks Kaiir Elam and Brandon Codrington, offensive linemen Sedrick Van-Pran Granger and Ryan Van Demark, and emergency third quarterback Mike White.

Jalen Hurts completed 15 of 20 passes for 128 yards and rushed for 70 yards and a touchdown for Philadelphia. The Eagles advanced to the NFC championship game, where they will host the Washington Commanders next Sunday.

Matthew Stafford completed 26 of 44 passes for 324 yards and two touchdowns for the Rams. Kyren Williams finished with 19 carries for 106 yards, and tight ends Tyler Higbee and Colby Parkinson each had a touchdown catch.

Barkley scored a 78-yard rushing touchdown to make it 28-15 with 4:36 remaining. He cut to his left and sprinted untouched past the secondary. Jake Elliott, however, failed to tack on the extra point for the second time in three PAT tries.

The Rams pulled within 28-22 on a 4-yard touchdown pass from Stafford to Parkinson with 2:48 to go.

The Eagles punted on their next possession, and the Rams had a chance for a go-ahead touchdown. Philadelphia's defense held firm as Stafford threw an incomplete pass on fourth-and-11 from the Eagles' 22-yard line to prompt a turnover on downs.

The score was even at 13-all after Rams kicker Joshua Karty made a 34-yard field goal with 7:37 to play in the third quarter.

Philadelphia inched ahead 16-13 with 2:19 left in the third when Elliott made a 44-yard field goal.

The Rams pulled within 16-15 after a safety with 26 seconds to go in the third quarter. Neville Gallimore brought Hurts down in the end zone.

The Eagles made it 19-15 on a 23-yard field goal by Elliott with 13:23 remaining. Nolan Smith forced Stafford to lose a fumble, and soon Elliott connected again from 37 yards for a seven-point lead with 6:18 to play.

The Eagles opened the scoring on their first drive of the game. Hurts faked a handoff to Barkley, tucked the ball and sprinted right for a 44-yard touchdown.

The Rams responded with a touchdown on the next possession to grab a 7-6 advantage. Stafford fired a strike to Higbee for a 4-yard score.

The Eagles struck again with another big-play touchdown to pull ahead 13-7. Barkley found an opening at the line of scrimmage and burst to his right for a 62-yard score with 1:07 remaining in the first quarter.

Los Angeles cut the deficit to 13-10 on a 30-yard field goal by Karty with 12:47 to go in the first half.

Whitt was one day removed from guiding his unit to a strong playoff performance against the Detroit Lions. The Commanders intercepted Jared Goff three times and forced him to lose a fumble in a 45-31 victory that advanced Washington to the NFC Championship Game.

Whitt, 46, played wide receiver at Auburn and began his coaching career there as a student assistant. His first job on the defensive side of the ball was as Louisville's cornerbacks coach from 2003-06, after which he graduated to the NFL as an assistant defensive backs coach for the Atlanta Falcons.

Whitt worked in various roles for the Green Bay Packers (2008-18), the Cleveland Browns (2019), another stint with Atlanta (2020) and the Dallas Cowboys (2021-23), primarily working with the secondary and coordinating pass defense. This was his first season in Washington and his first year as a defensive coordinator.

It also marks Whitt's first interview for a head coaching job.

New York's other interviews have included 10 candidates with previous NFL head coaching experience, counting its own interim coach Jeff Ulbrich and New Orleans Saints interim coach Darren Rizzi. Ulbrich has since joined Atlanta as its new defensive coordinator, and another interviewee, Mike Vrabel, was hired as the New England Patriots' head coach.

Cosmi suffered a knee injury in Washington's NFC divisional-round win over the top-seeded Detroit Lions on Saturday night. NFL Network reported he will undergo an MRI on Sunday, with the injury described as "potentially serious."

The injury occurred about five minutes into the second quarter when Detroit defender Za'Darius Smith inadvertently hit the back of Cosmi's legs, with Cosmi's right leg pinned under Smith's body. Cosmi hobbled off the field with trainers.

Cosmi was replaced by veteran backup Trent Scott, who is playing with his fourth team in seven NFL seasons.

Cosmi, 25, was selected by Washington in the second round (51st overall) of the 2021 NFL Draft. He has played in 57 regular-season games (49 starts) for Washington, starting all 17 games and playing 100 percent of the team's snaps each of the past two seasons.

The Commanders will meet the winner of Sunday's contest between the Philadelphia Eagles and Los Angeles Rams for the NFC championship next weekend.

George, 51, rushed for more than 10,000 yards in the NFL from 1996-2004 and has been the head coach at Tennessee State since 2021.

The Bears, who fired head coach Matt Eberflus on Nov. 29 after a 4-8 start in his third season, have been casting a wide net in their search.

Chicago met with Minnesota Vikings defensive coordinator Brian Flores on Friday, and with Buffalo Bills offensive coordinator Joe Brady and Baltimore Ravens offensive coordinator Todd Monken on Saturday, bringing their total number of interviews to date to at least 14. The list includes former NFL head coaches Pete Carroll, Mike McCarthy, Ron Rivera and Arthur Smith.

George guided Tennessee State to a 9-4 record in 2024, leading the Tigers to a share of the Big South/Ohio Valley Conference title and their first FCS playoff berth since 2013. He was the league's coach of the year and runner-up for the Eddie Robinson national coach of the year, awarded to the top FCS coach.

George's overall record at Tennessee State is 24-22.

George spent time with the Bears during the 2023 offseason as part of the NFL's Bill Walsh Diversity Coaching Fellowship.

A four-time Pro Bowl selection, George rushed for 10,441 yards and 68 touchdowns in 141 NFL games with the Houston Oilers/Tennessee Titans (1996-2003) and Dallas Cowboys (2004). He was a first-round pick in 1996 out of Ohio State, where he won the 1995 Heisman Trophy.

Playing in the AFC divisional round of the playoffs for the second straight season, Houston felt like it had to contend with officials in addition to the Chiefs.

There were two calls in particular that had the Texans especially fired up, with the first coming on Kansas City's second drive of the game. Houston defensive end Will Anderson Jr. was flagged for roughing the passer on what appeared to be a clean play on third-and-8 from the Chiefs 33.

Kansas City took that automatic first down and ran with it, eventually capitalizing when Harrison Butker kicked a 36-yard field goal to put the Chiefs up 6-3.

The Texans were also unhappy with a call in the third quarter. Kansas City quarterback Patrick Mahomes scrambled for 9 yards and slid late, leading Henry To'oTo'o and Folorunso Fatukasi to seemingly deliver a blow to the signal-caller's upper body.

However, replays on the ESPN broadcast showed that To'oTo'o and Fatukasi actually collided with each other. Still, To'oTo'o was hit with an unnecessary roughness penalty that cost Houston 15 yards.

Nine plays later, the Chiefs were in the end zone and up 20-12 with 11:52 to go in the fourth quarter.

"We knew it was going to be us vs. the refs going into this game," Anderson said following the loss.

Texans coach DeMeco Ryans took an indirect jab at the referees, but he also made it clear that Houston wasn't nearly clean enough to dethrone the two-time defending Super Bowl champions.

"We knew going into this game, man, it was us vs. everybody. And when I say everybody, it's everybody," Ryans said. "Knowing that going into this game, what we were up against, we can't make the mistakes that we made.

"Whether it's special teams not converting our kicks. Defensively, not being where we're supposed to be in coverage. Offensively, not protecting our quarterback and keeping him clean. You married that on top of everything else that we have to deal with, it's just going to be a really tough uphill battle."

Terry McLaurin and Zach Ertz had touchdown receptions and Jeremy McNichols rushed for a score as the sixth-seeded Commanders secured a spot in next week's NFC Championship Game. Washington will visit either the Philadelphia Eagles or Los Angeles Rams, who play Sunday.

The NFC Championship Game appearance will be Washington's first since the 1991 Super Bowl-winning season.

Jared Goff threw three interceptions for top-seeded Detroit, which went a franchise-best 15-2 in the regular season. Jahmyr Gibbs had 175 scrimmage yards (105 rushing, 70 receiving) and scored two touchdowns, Sam LaPorta had a touchdown grab and Amon-Ra St. Brown had eight catches for 137 yards.

The Lions committed five turnovers to Washington's none. Goff also lost a fumble, and receiver Jameson Williams was intercepted off a reverse pass.

Quan Martin returned an interception for a touchdown for the Commanders. Jeremy Chinn also had an interception for Washington.

Daniels completed 22 of 31 passes for 299 yards to lead the Commanders to their second straight playoff victory. Washington beat the host Tampa Bay Buccaneers last weekend.

Washington led by three entering the fourth quarter before 1-yard runs by Robinson and McNichols extended the cushion to 45-28 lead. Sainristil made his second interception between the scores, picking off Williams on a trick play.

The Lions moved within 14 on a 28-yard field goal by Jake Bates with 5:01 left, but there would be no late-game charge.

Daniels passed for 242 yards and two touchdowns in the first half as the Commanders held a 31-21 lead.

Gibbs opened the scoring with a 1-yard scoring run midway through the opening quarter before Washington's Zane Gonzalez hit a 47-yard field goal with 3:50 remaining in the period.

A wide-open second quarter featured 42 points and three touchdowns of 40 or more yards.

Washington took a 10-7 lead on a 2-yard run by Robinson with 10:55 left in the half. Detroit moved back ahead just over three minutes later when LaPorta made a diving grab from Goff for a 2-yard touchdown.

Just 81 seconds later, the Commanders were back ahead as McLaurin caught a short pass, split two defenders and eluded another one downfield while running 58 yards down the sideline with 6:23 left. Washington's lead grew to 24-14 just 58 seconds later when Martin intercepted an overthrown Goff pass and returned it 40 yards for a score.

Goff took a massive hit to the chin from Washington's Frankie Luvu during the return, so Teddy Bridgewater handled the next series. On the third play, Williams broke loose on a double reverse and raced 61 yards for a touchdown to bring Detroit within three with 4:01 left.

The Commanders found the end zone again when Daniels threw a 5-yard scoring pass to Ertz with 1:46 left.

The third quarter was quiet in comparison with just one touchdown -- that coming on Gibbs' 8-yard run to pull the Lions within 31-28 with 6:57 remaining.

The Chiefs raised Reid's record in the playoffs to 27-16, putting him within four wins of the all-time leader, Bill Belichick (31 playoff wins). But when taken in concert with Reid's 273 regular season victories, Reid has 300 career wins.

Just four coaches in NFL history have reached the 300-win plateau. Former Miami Dolphins head man Don Shula remains the all-time leader with 347 wins, while Belichick (Cleveland Browns, New England Patriots), is in second place with 333. George Halas (Chicago Bears) sits in third with 324, with Reid (Chiefs, Philadelphia Eagles) rounding out the top four.

Reid and the Chiefs, who will host the AFC Championship Game against either the Baltimore Ravens or Buffalo Bills next Sunday, are in pursuit of an NFL-record third straight Super Bowl championship.

Reid could conceivably tie or surpass Belichick in career playoff wins next season.

Ulbrich was the New York Jets' defensive coordinator over the past four seasons and served as interim head coach for the final 12 games of the 2024 season. The Jets went 3-9 during that span. He also continued serving as defensive coordinator.

Ulbrich, 47, has a lot of familiarity with the Falcons as he formerly spent six seasons (2015-20) with the franchise. He coached linebackers throughout his tenure but also was assistant head coach and interim defensive coordinator for part of the 2020 season after Dan Quinn was dismissed.

Current Falcons head coach Raheem Morris replaced Quinn on an interim basis. Morris also was on the staff with Ulbrich for the same six seasons.

Morris went 8-9 in 2024 in his first season as head coach. Jimmy Lake was the defensive coordinator, but he was fired after one season.

Ulbrich played 10 seasons with the San Francisco 49ers from 2000-09 before moving into coaching.

Earlier Saturday, the Falcons completed a virtual interview with former Chicago Bears coach Matt Eberflus but later decided to hire Ulbrich.

Kansas City will play either Baltimore or Buffalo, who meet Sunday night in Orchard Park, N.Y., on January 26 for a trip to the Super Bowl. Meanwhile, Houston bows out in the divisional round for the second straight season.

The Chiefs led just 13-12 when Mahomes, who was falling down as he threw the ball, found Kelce in the middle of the end zone for an 11-yard scoring strike with 11:52 remaining in the game. It was the highlight of an efficient performance for Mahomes, who hit 16 of 25 passes for 177 yards.

Butker added the team's last points on a 27-yard field goal with 4:38 left. The Texans tacked on a safety when Kansas City punter Matt Araiza ran out of the end zone with 11 seconds on the clock.

C.J. Stroud connected on 19 of 28 attempts for 245 yards for Houston but its only touchdown was Joe Mixon's 13-yard run with 4:36 left in the third quarter, capping a drive of 10:24.

Playing their key players for the first time since a Week 17 win at Pittsburgh, Kansas City scored three of the first four times it touched the ball while keeping Houston out of the end zone during a first half in which the Texans gained 51 more total yards.

Butker connected on 32 and 36-yard field goals to cap the Chiefs' first two possessions, while Houston countered via Ka'imi Fairbairn's 30-yard field goal on its first drive. That made it 6-3 Kansas City going to the second quarter.

Mahomes found Kelce open over the middle for a 49-yard gain on which he broke two weak attempts at tackling to set up the half's lone touchdown. Kareem Hunt scored on a high-stepping 1-yard run with 4:36 left before halftime.

Fairbairn got points on the board with 16 seconds remaining, booming a 48-yard field goal. He also missed two field goals, including one that was blocked by Kansas City's Leo Chenal with 1:46 left.

Andy Reid of the Chiefs became the fourth coach to accumulate 300 wins, including the postseason. The others are Don Shula (347), Bill Belichick (333) and George Halas (324).

Detroit claimed the No. 1 seed in the NFC for the first time in franchise history.

"We came into this year ready for games like this," Lions quarterback Jared Goff said. "If we win, we get another one at home. That's a big reward."

ODDS AND TRENDS

The Lions are consensus 9.0-point favorites among regulated sportsbooks. That includes at BetRivers, where Detroit has been backed by 54 percent of the spread-line tickets and 74 percent of the money.

Detroit's -560 moneyline has been a far more popular play. Despite the low odds and potential payout, the Lions have drawn 81 and 87 percent of the action, respectively.

The 55.5 total points line has since the Over heavily supported with 71 percent of the money.

PROP PICK

Lions WR Jameson Williams Over 3.5 Receptions (-150 at DraftKings): The third-year big-play wide receiver has become an integral part of the passing game, averaging seven targets over his past eight games. He has had at least five receptions in all but one of those games, which is why this has been the most popular player prop at the book.

THE NEWS

Runners up to the 49ers in the NFC last season, the Lions (15-2) set a franchise record for wins in the 2024 regular season, clinching the NFC North with a Week 18 win over the Minnesota Vikings. That victory secured the only first-round bye in the conference.

While the Lions rested and plotted ways to protect their injury-ravaged defense, the Commanders scored their first postseason victory since 2005 at Tampa Bay, 23-20 behind rookie quarterback Jayden Daniels.

A completion percentage of 72 percent with 12 touchdowns in the fourth quarter and overtime helped define Daniels' stellar rookie season. He threw a game-tying TD pass to No. 1 receiver Terry McLaurin on fourth down at Tampa Bay and, after the Buccaneers tied the game, he calmly connected on three straight passes and ran for a first down to set up the game-winning field goal.

Daniels led five comeback wins and helped Washington crash the playoffs with three fourth-quarter touchdown passes to beat the Eagles last month.

Daniels, described by his coach as a "killer inside that helmet," might not fit the description of rookie at this point in the season. He helped the Commanders improve from four wins to a 12-5 finish and was 8-3 in one-score games.

"He does not play the position like a rookie quarterback," Lions head coach Dan Campbell said.

The No. 6 seed in the NFC goes back on the road for the fourth playoff matchup with the Lions, who are 0-3 against Washington in the playoffs. With a win, the Commanders would advance to the conference championship for the first time since they defeated the Lions in the 1991 NFC title game.

"Jayden has such poise in these winning time moments. And that is contagious as well," Commanders head coach Dan Quinn said.

Beating Detroit on its home turf is likely to require another clutch showing from Daniels and the Washington defense. The Commanders slowed down Baker Mayfield and the Bucs last week, but the Lions are a different animal.

No. 1 in the NFL in scoring offense (33.2 points per game) and second in total offense (409.5 yards per game) during the regular season, Detroit welcomes the return of running back David Montgomery (1,116 yards from scrimmage, 12 rushing TDs in 2024) after he missed three games with a knee injury sustained Dec. 15. Montgomery was considered a surgery candidate but said rehab has him feeling stronger than he was before the injury.

"He's a big part of this team. Anytime you get a key player and a guy like him -- the way he runs, you really can't replace it," Lions wide receiver Amon-Ra St. Brown said. "To have him back, we're all pretty excited on the offensive side of the ball because he sets a tone for us as an offense. I feel like he gets guys going. We can't wait to have him out there. I'm excited to see him even go in practice again and then be out there for the game."

A key to slowing Montgomery down for the Commanders is middle linebacker Bobby Wagner. A second-team All-Pro in 2024, Wagner injured his ankle on the second-to-last defensive play of the wild-card win last week and didn't practice Tuesday or Wednesday.

The 34-year-old was back on the field Thursday in a limited capacity and is expected to play Saturday.

Wagner followed Quinn to Washington and topped 100 tackles for the 11th consecutive season. Described as a "heartbeat" presence on defense, Wagner has 17 playoff appearances in the NFL.

The 230-pound Montgomery's pad-popping running style is the ideal complement to speedy Jahmyr Gibbs, who topped 21 miles per hour on two of his TDs (70-yard run, 54-yard reception), according to NFL Next Gen Stats. Gibbs led the team with 1,412 rushing yards and 16 touchdowns, plus 52 catches for 517 yards and four more TDs. St. Brown was named All-Pro in 2024 with a team-high 115 receptions for 1,263 yards and 12 TDs, and Goff throwing 37 TD passes and completing 72.4 percent of his attempts.

"They're all really good," Commanders defensive coordinator Joe Whitt Jr. said. "They test your discipline. I think (offensive coordinator) Ben (Johnson) does a really nice job of understanding coverages. He understands the responsibility of every player, and he's going to test the discipline of those players in coverage. ... And then they have really good players."

Detroit's defense has been dominant on third down despite being besieged by injuries. The Lions led the NFL in third-down defense and beat the Vikings by surprising Minnesota with more than 50 percent man-to-man coverage, far higher than the league average. Even with subs in several key positions, defensive coordinator Aaron Glenn hasn't changed the approach. Twelve defensive players who were starters or key backups are on IR.

But staying the course and delivering results is the big reason he's been a popular target for teams with a vacancy at head coach.

"One thing I've respected is so many times when you see a team have injuries, they change to play differently," Quinn said. "And 'let's play more of this,' which they never did. I thought there's some boldness and confidence that goes with that."

Washington and Detroit are both plenty bold when it comes to rolling the dice. The Commanders led the NFL in fourth-down conversion percentage, moving the chains on 20 of 23 attempts. Campbell and Johnson went for it on fourth down more than any other team this season and converted 22 of 33 tries. They lead the NFL with 151 attempts on fourth down since 2021.

The Commanders converted three times in five fourth-down tries last week.

"I think that's who we are the whole season," Quinn said. "But when you do get stopped early, you just have to stay the course knowing that, 'Hey, keep your chin tucked and keep swinging,' knowing that this is going to be a game that's going to go all the way down to the end."

Goff, a No. 1 pick in 2016 who played in a Super Bowl with the Rams before joining the Lions via trade, said Daniels, drafted No. 2 in 2024, appears comfortable no matter the circumstance.

"It doesn't look like he is a rookie, it doesn't look like he feels like a rookie," Goff said. "It feels like he understands the moment and is comfortable in it and our job on defense is to try to make him uncomfortable. It's been a challenge for a lot of teams this year, but I'm excited to see what they do."

KEY STAT

Rookie quarterbacks are 5-7 in the Divisional Playoffs since 1950 and 1-4 since 2010. Only Mark Sanchez (2009 with the Jets) and Joe Flacco (2008, Ravens) have won multiple road games as rookie starters.

INJURY REPORT

Montgomery practiced in full all week, as did Detroit cornerback Terrion Arnold (foot).

Detroit will be without right guard Kevin Zeitler (hamstring), with rookie Christian Mahogany due to step in for his second NFL start. Lions reserve defensive lineman Pat O'Connor (calf) is out, and cornerback Ennis Rakestraw (hamstring/illness) was considered questionable.

Washington ruled out reserve linebacker Jordan Magee (hamstring) while listing reserve linebacker Mykal Walker (illness) as questionable.

PREDICTION

The Lions managed their way through a slew of defensive injuries to roll off 15 wins during the regular season. The offense is explosive in the run and pass games, putting Daniels in a precarious position of trying to keep pace in a shootout on the road in a raucous environment.

--Lions 34, Commanders 24