Photo by Julio Aguilar/Getty Images If the Rams beat the Eagles, they will be hosting the NFC Championship game It turns out that you actually can go home again. The Los Angeles Rams were forced to relocate away from SoFi Stadium in the first round of the playoffs, but if they can beat the Philadelphia Eagles on Sunday then that’s exactly where L.A. will be playing in the NFC Championship game. The Washington Commanders upset the Detroit Lions 45-31 in the divisional round on Saturday, meaning that the winner of Rams-Eagles will be hosting the Commanders in the NFC Championship. Not bad for a team that was only a four-seed going into the playoffs. Because the Commanders are the 6 seed, they will be the lower-ranked seed against either the Eagles or Rams and therefore must go on the road again. Look what it means to Jayden Daniels ( FOX) pic.twitter.com/yXfydGcoSE — ESPN (@espn) January 19, 2025 The Rams still have a huge hurdle to climb over in order to get that far. Sorry, make that a backwards hurdle. SAQUON BARKLEY IS NOT OF THIS WORLD. : #JAXvsPHI on CBS/Paramount+ : https://t.co/waVpO909ge pic.twitter.com/UtCENDw6no — NFL (@NFL) November 3, 2024 The Commanders winning on Saturday only matters to L.A. if the Rams are able to beat Saquon Barkley’s Eagles. Philadelphia won the regular season matchup 37-20 and the Eagles have won 13 of their last 14 games. Their only loss in that time was to the Commanders. The NFL is either going to get an Eagles-Commaners or Rams-Commanders NFC Championship game, something nobody could have predicted a few months ago. Washington went 4-13 under Ron Rivera last season and turned the reins over to a rookie at quarteback, Jayden Daniels. Add into that, Dan Quinn was perhaps the most “ho hum” hire of the head coaching cycle, but nobody’s humming anymore. Except Kliff Kingsbury. The Commanders OC — also sort of a “laughingstock hire” last year — helped Washington set a franchise record with 45 points in a road playoff game. The Commanders have scored at least 30 points in 4 of their last 7 games. So even if the Rams do beat the Eagles, they will have another huge test on deck. And it will be at SoFi Stadium if that happens.
This worked out perfectly for the Rams
Derrick Henry player props odds, tips and betting trends for the NFL Playoffs | Ravens vs. Bills
Player props will be available for Derrick Henry ahead of Sunday’s NFL action at 6:30 PM ET live on CBS. In the AFC Divisional Round, Henry’s Baltimore Ravens (12-5) will take on the Buffalo Bills (13-4). The game is at Highmark Stadium in Orchard Park, New York. Watch Derrick Henry and the Ravens vs. Bills on Fubo! Derrick Henry props for AFC Divisional round Matchup: Baltimore Ravens at Buffalo Bills Time: 6:30 PM ET Date: January 19, 2025 Rushing yards prop: Over 94.5 (-115) Receiving yards prop: Over 5.5 (-128) National Football League odds courtesy of BetMGM. Odds updated Saturday at 10:31 PM ET. For a full list of sports betting odds, access USA TODAY Sports Betting Scores Odds Hub. Henry rushing stats and trends Henry’s rushing yards over/under for Sunday is set at 94.5. That is 18.5 fewer yards than his season average (113.0). In nine of 17 games so far this season (52.9%), he has rushed for more than 94.5 yards. Oddsmakers have set Henry’s average rushing yards over/under at 84.4 yards. He has out-gained it by picking up 113.0 rushing yards per game. Henry has gone over his rushing yards total in 11 of 17 opportunities (64.7% of his opportunities). He scored a rushing touchdown in 12 games this season, with multiple rushing TDs four times. Ravens vs. Bills stats and trends The Bills have the NFL’s 12th-ranked defense against the run, surrendering 115.5 yards per game. This week Henry will face the NFL’s 24th-ranked pass defense (226.1 yards allowed per game). With 244.1 passing yards allowed per game on defense, which ranks second-worst in the NFL, the Ravens have been forced to rely on their seventh-ranked passing offense (237.4 passing yards per contest) to keep them in games. The Ravens have been a difficult matchup for opposing teams in the running game, as they rank top-five in both rushing offense (best with 187.6 rushing yards per game) and rushing defense (best with 80.1 rushing yards allowed per game) this season. The Ravens have the seventh-ranked defense this year in terms of yards per play (5.5 yards per play allowed), and they’ve been more effective on offense, ranking best with 7 yards per play. Watch the NFL on Fubo! Gannett may earn revenue from sports betting operators for audience referrals to betting services. Sports betting operators have no influence over nor are any such revenues in any way dependent on or linked to the newsrooms or news coverage. Terms apply, see operator site for Terms and Conditions. If you or someone you know has a gambling problem, help is available. Call the National Council on Problem Gambling 24/7 at 1-800-GAMBLER (NJ, OH), 1-800-522-4700 (CO), 1-800-BETS-OFF (IA), 1-800-9-WITH-IT (IN). Must be 21 or older to gamble. Sports betting and gambling are not legal in all locations. Be sure to comply with laws applicable where you reside. We occasionally recommend interesting products and services. If you make a purchase by clicking one of the links, we may earn an affiliate fee. Ravens Wire operates independently, though, and this doesn’t influence our coverage.
A.D. Mitchell’s rookie season leaves room for improvement in year two with the Colts
Photo by Justin Edmonds/Getty Images The rookie left much to be desired in his first season. Adonai Mitchell was all the talk out of camp for the Indianapolis Colts last season. He was making plays and flashing great potential. Coaches and fans both seemed excited to see what he could do on the field during his rookie season. Camp stars don’t always translate to game action, and while it is way too early to give up on him, it wasn’t exactly how we thought his first year was going to transpire. Receivers tend to take longer to develop at this level, so with plenty of opportunity and time to make a leap, the jury on Mitchell should still be out. There were troubling signs from the beginning, however. Josh Downs was out to start the season, so Mitchell was thrust into a more prominent role. His first four games produced only two catches for 32-yards. He had trouble connecting with Anthony Richardson out of the gate. Mitchell appeared to also have some early season yips as he was targeted thirteen times but only hauled in two, with a few of those being extremely catchable. In the Packers game, he dropped one that hit him square in the chest. Although he started to come more into his own during the middle portion of the season, he seemingly disappeared down the stretch putting up numbers to match his start. Over the last five games he produced three catches on twelve targets. On top of the 23 total receptions, there were two other areas of concern. He didn’t manage to cross the goal line once, although he did come within a half yard. I can live with that. Touchdowns will come with an increase in receptions and yards. The bigger issue was his aversion to contact. There were too many instances in which he seemed to shy away from a hit to make a catch or would pull up short. I don’t want his career to be cut short by an injury, but it is the NFL. People are getting paid big money to hit you. It is something to expect. If you want your quarterback looking your way, he needs to know you are going to do everything you can to make the play. Receivers tend to make the biggest leaps between year one to two. There is no reason to give up or believe A.D. Mitchell can’t make it in this league. With that said, it was disappointing to not see more positives. The Colts have gotten used to high level receivers, and there was a twinge of hope that Mitchell could follow in that vein. He still could. Give him an offseason and more time to work with Anthony Richardson, and we could see a huge break out. The good news is that his numbers will certainly increase. The only question is by how much.
Saturday Divisional Playoff round open thread
Patrick Mahomes | Photo by David Eulitt/Getty Images Discuss it all here The NFL Divisional Playoff Round starts Saturday. The Houston Texans play at the Kansas City Chiefs at 1:30 p.m. PT. The Washington Commanders play at the Detroit Lions at 5 p.m. Discuss it all here.
Josh Allen player props odds, tips and betting trends for the NFL Playoffs | Bills vs. Ravens
Check out these betting insights before you place player prop wagers on Josh Allen for Sunday’s game, which starts at 6:30 PM ET on CBS. In the AFC Divisional Round, Allen’s Buffalo Bills (13-4) will take on the Baltimore Ravens (12-5). The game is at Highmark Stadium in Orchard Park, New York. Watch Josh Allen and the Bills vs. Ravens on Fubo! Josh Allen props for AFC Divisional round Matchup: Buffalo Bills vs. Baltimore Ravens Time: 6:30 PM ET Date: January 19, 2025 Passing yards prop: Over 245.5 (-115) Rushing yards prop: Over 49.5 (-115) National Football League odds courtesy of BetMGM. Odds updated Saturday at 10:23 PM ET. For a full list of sports betting odds, access USA TODAY Sports Betting Scores Odds Hub. Allen passing stats and trends Compared to his 245.5-yard prop bet total for this matchup, Allen is throwing for less yards per game this season (233.2). In seven of 16 matchups this season, he has thrown for more than 245.5 yards. Allen has thrown for over his season prop average (232.3 yards) by 0.9 yards per game. Allen has hit the over on his passing yards prop total in eight of 16 opportunities this season. He has thrown for a touchdown 14 times this year in 16 games played, including multiple TD passes 10 times. Allen has been intercepted in five games this year (out of 16), but had multiple INTs on just one occasion. Bills vs. Ravens stats and trends The 244.1 passing yards the Ravens give up per game makes them the NFL’s 31st-ranked pass defense this season. The Bills are totaling 227.9 passing yards per game on offense (ninth in the NFL), and they rank 24th on the other side of the ball with 226.1 passing yards allowed per game. The Bills are totaling 131.2 rushing yards per game on offense, which ranks them ninth in the NFL. On the other side of the ball, they rank 12th, allowing 115.5 rushing yards per game. The Bills are surrendering 5.8 yards per play on the defensive side of the ball (21st in the NFL), while accumulating 6 per play (seventh in the league) on offense this season. Watch the NFL on Fubo! Gannett may earn revenue from sports betting operators for audience referrals to betting services. Sports betting operators have no influence over nor are any such revenues in any way dependent on or linked to the newsrooms or news coverage. Terms apply, see operator site for Terms and Conditions. If you or someone you know has a gambling problem, help is available. Call the National Council on Problem Gambling 24/7 at 1-800-GAMBLER (NJ, OH), 1-800-522-4700 (CO), 1-800-BETS-OFF (IA), 1-800-9-WITH-IT (IN). Must be 21 or older to gamble. Sports betting and gambling are not legal in all locations. Be sure to comply with laws applicable where you reside. We occasionally recommend interesting products and services. If you make a purchase by clicking one of the links, we may earn an affiliate fee. Bills Wire operates independently, though, and this doesn’t influence our coverage.
1 winner, 4 losers from the Lions’ loss against Commanders
Lon Horwedel-Imagn Images The Lions were upset by the Commanders on Saturday night in the Divisional Round, losing 45-31. There were plenty of losers as the season is over for Detroit. This was not how the season was supposed to end. The Detroit Lions set a franchise-record 15 wins and earned the number one seed in the NFL playoffs—all for it to just end in the first postseason game. The Washington Commanders came in after upsetting the Tampa Bay Buccaneers and played spoiler as a 9.5-point underdog, defeating the Detroit Lions 45-31. Commanders quarterback, and soon-to-be NFL Offensive Rookie of the Year, Jayden Daniels entered Ford Field and played like a veteran. Daniels put up 299 passing yards and two touchdowns and added 52 yards on the ground. While the Lions defense was struggling, the offense didn’t do its best either, as the team had five turnovers. Check out my winner and losers in the loss. Winner Jahmyr Gibbs While the passing game struggled, the ground attack worked well against this Commanders defense. Gibbs had 14 carries for 105 yards and two touchdowns. Despite running back David Montgomery returning from a knee injury, Gibbs was the feature back for the Lions. Jahmyr Gibbs is literally a walking touchdown pic.twitter.com/Do0ieB1PxS — The Morning After (@Bookit_TMA) January 19, 2025 Gibbs continued to be a threat wherever he was on the field. If you needed a big play on the ground, Gibbs did that. If you needed a short completion, Gibbs did that too. He had six catches for 71 yards, as he has grown into one of Goff’s favorite safety valves. Losers Secondary Regarding the Lions defense, the secondary had the roughest go at it. It started rough when starting cornerback Amik Robertson went down with an injury in the first quarter and was ruled out for the rest of the game. With him out, Kindle Vildor stepped into his role and while he did have a nice pass breakup on third down, that was about the best highlight the secondary had the whole game. Rookie cornerback Terrion Arnold struggled in coverage, and the safeties couldn’t match up against the tight ends or help over the top. Wide receiver Dyami Brown led the Commanders for the receivers, getting six catches for 98 yards. Star receiver Terry McLaurin had a big 58-yard touchdown play on a screen pass that the Lions defended horribly. Big plays were happening for the Commanders through the air, and the Lions couldn’t figure out how to stop it. With the defense’s pass rush struggling, it gave Daniels too much time to throw and that was hell for the secondary. Sure, it’s not on them to generate pressure on the quarterback too, but even when there was some pressure, they couldn’t hold their own. There was also a penalty for too many men on the field after a miscommunication in the secondary. Jared Goff You’d think quarterback Jared Goff would rebound well after having one of the worst performances of the season in Week 18 against the Minnesota Vikings. With the extra rest, it seemed to have possibly made life a little more rough for the quarterback. Goff fumbled on the third drive of the game, when the Lions were threatening to add to their 7-3 lead. After trading touchdowns, Goff threw a horrible ball that was too high for wide receiver Tim Patrick and it was pick-sixed by Washington to make it 24-14 Washington. On the last drive before halftime, with the Lions down 31-21, Goff threw an interception in the end zone as Commanders rookie cornerback Mike Sainristil stepped in front of Lions wide receiver Jameson Williams. In the fourth quarter with less than a minute to go, down by 14, Goff threw the final interception of the night, ending the season for the Lions Goff finished the game going 23-for-40 for 313 yards with a touchdown, fumble, and three interceptions. Goff was having an MVP-level season early on, but this game showed that he wasn’t at that level. Kickoff returns The Commanders are known to kick the ball short on kickoffs, meaning the Lions had to prepare to return these kicks and not get touchbacks. Running back Craig Reynolds returned four kicks for 93 yards, and wide receiver Kalif Raymond had a return for 21 yards. Reynolds averaged just 23 yards a return. Once, Raymond returned the ball from inside the end zone, which was not smart as he was tackled at the 19, giving Detroit a long field late in the fourth quarter. Coaching decisions The coaching staff struggled in this game mightily. First, offensive coordinator Ben Johnson, who has had a great season and is a head coaching candidate, made a horrible decision to run a trick pass play with the team down by 10 in the second half. The play was the pass thrown by Jameson Williams that was picked off. Sure, Williams should have thrown the ball away or just ran, but Johnson shouldn’t have called that play to begin with. You are down by 10 in a playoff game, that play wasn’t going to do anything massive for you. It’s fun to run trick plays, but down by 10 with a risky play like that is just asinine. Defensive coordinator Aaron Glenn had a horrible game coaching too. He struggled to stop RPO screen plays that were easy to tell were coming. He had players blitzing when they should have been going up against the receivers blocking, and instead it’s an easy advantage for Washington. The coaching staff also are to blame for having 12 players on the defense and not calling a timeout to fix it. In that situation, losing by 10 in the second half, I understand you don’t want to waste your timeouts. Instead of losing a timeout, which could have turned into a stop on fourth down, it turns into a touchdown. With the players not at their best, it was up to the coaches to
Detroit Lions vs. Washington Commanders second half live chat
Photo by Gregory Shamus/Getty Images The Detroit Lions trail the Washington Commanders 31-21 at the end of the first half. Come chat with us during the second half. The Detroit Lions trail the Washington Commanders 31-21 at halftime. Can they mount a comeback and save their season? Come chat with us in the comment section below.
NFL Playoffs 2025: Eagles can host NFC Championship Game by beating the Rams
Photo by Mitchell Leff/Getty Images The road to the Super Bowl suddenly does not go through Detroit. Well, then! With the Washington Commanders pulling off an upset as 9.5-point road underdogs against the Detroit Lions, the Philadelphia Eagles now have a chance to host the NFC Championship Game. In order to do so, the Eagles must beat the Los Angeles Rams in the Divisional Round on Sunday afternoon. Had the Lions won, the NFC Championship Game would’ve been in Detroit with the Lions entering the 2025 NFL playoffs as the No. 1 seed. A matchup between the No. 2 seed Eagles and the Lions would’ve been pretty epic. Instead, the Eagles will be aiming to play the Commanders for the third time this season. The Eagles beat Washington at Lincoln Financial Field in Week 11. Then they lost to the Commanders in a Week 16 game where Jalen Hurts left early after suffering a concussion. Make no mistake: the Commanders are dangerous. Jayden Daniels is very, very good despite being a rookie. But the Eagles much prefer hosting the Commanders to playing the Lions in Detroit. And they’ll get a chance to do so if they can just beat the Rams. Gotta get it done. Side note: the Dallas Cowboys now have the longest NFC Championship Game drought.
NFL Divisional Round Recap: Kansas City Chiefs 23, Houston Texans 14
The Kansas City Chiefs secured a 23-14 victory over the Houston Texans on Saturday, advancing to the AFC championship game for the seventh straight season. Premium Content Sign Up NFL Divisional Round Recap: Kansas City Chiefs 23, Houston Texans 14 2S766K8 Kansas City Chiefs tight end Travis Kelce (87) celebrates after scoring as teammate Mike Caliendo (66) watches during the second half of an NFL football AFC divisional playoff game against the Houston Texans Saturday, Jan. 18, 2025, in Kansas City, Mo. (AP Photo/Charlie Riedel) By Mark Chichester Posted Jan 18, 2025 7:54 pm EST • Houston Texans • Kansas City Chiefs The Kansas City Chiefs secured a 23-14 victory over the Houston Texans on Saturday, advancing to the AFC championship game for the seventh straight season. Patrick Mahomes led the way for Kansas City, throwing for 177 yards and a touchdown, with tight end Travis Kelce as his primary target. The game was defined by a solid defensive performance from the Chiefs, who sacked Texans quarterback C.J. Stroud eight times. Stroud threw for 245 yards but faced pressure on 19 of his 41 dropbacks, according to PFF’s first review. Special teams also proved costly for Houston, as kicker Ka’imi Fairbairn missed a 55-yard field goal and an extra point. With just under two minutes remaining, the Texans’ hopes of a comeback were dashed when another field goal attempt was blocked, ensuring the Chiefs’ victory and continued postseason dominance. PFF’s dedicated team of graders was hard at work, analyzing every player on every play in real time. The grades and data will be available after a thorough review tomorrow at noon ET. In the meantime, we’ve gathered some high-level data and snap counts from the game to give you an early look. Our expert graders have also nominated the standout player of the game, highlighting exceptional performance on the field. Sign up for PFF+ for in-depth analysis, PFF grades, Premium Stats, fantasy football tools, betting dashboards and much more! HIGHEST-GRADED PLAYERS TE Travis Kelce, Kansas City Chiefs (86.4) Note: Follow along with PFF’s in-game grading as our analysts evaluate every player on every play in real time! Grades will then be relocked 90 minutes after the final whistle as our first-run analysis is reviewed. PLAYER OF THE GAME The true mark of greatness is rising to the occasion when it matters most, and that’s exactly what Chiefs tight end Travis Kelce did today. In Kansas City’s biggest game of the season to date, Kelce delivered his finest performance of 2024, earning his best single-game grade since Week 14 of last year, per PFF’s initial review. Kelce was nearly unstoppable, hauling in seven of eight targets for a game-high 117 yards, a touchdown, and four first downs. He showcased his trademark after-the-catch ability, racking up 59 yards post-reception while forcing two missed tackles. Three of his catches gained 15 or more yards. The veteran tight end averaged 4.33 yards per route run — the highest of the contest — and passes thrown his way generated a perfect 158.3 passer rating. When the lights shine brightest, Kelce continues to prove he’s one of the NFL’s best. ADVANCED BOX SCORE
Rams elevate 2 practice squad players for Sunday
Photo by Cooper Neill/Getty Images The Rams called up A.J. Arcuri and Keir Thomas to play against the Eagles The Los Angeles Rams elevated offensive tackle A.J. Arcuri and linebacker Keir Thomas for their divisional round playoff game against the Philadelphia Eagles on Sunday. Both have seen extremely limited action in 2024 and the playoffs, but good things come to those who wait. LA Rams Roster Moves:• Activated, from Practice Squad (Standard Elevation) OL A.J. Arcuri, OLB Keir Thomas pic.twitter.com/Jgb4yzlhx0 — Los Angeles Rams (@RamsNFL) January 18, 2025 Arcuri, a seventh round pick in 2022, has been elevated for two games this season. The Rams had Arcuri active for their Week 1 game against the Detroit Lions, as well as their Week 18 game against the Seattle Seahawks. That’s what I call a “bookend” tackle. Arcuri has played in 51 snaps on offense and 8 snaps on special teams this season. As a rookie in 2022, Arcuri played in 70 total snaps. This is his third season. Thomas went undrafted in 2022 but has played in 17 career games over three years. This will be only his third game of 2024 though, as he played 39 snaps in Week 18, making three tackles, including one for a loss. Thomas also had a tackle against the Vikings in the wild card round.
