PFF’s media research team has been hard at work this week, preparing for kickoff by pulling data-driven insights and talking points for our broadcast partners around the league. Now, we’re sharing those same nuggets with you. So, whether you’re looking to hit on your bets or just get smarter about the game, these are the key storylines to know for every divisional round contest. PFF Grades and Data: Key insights for Texans-Patriots, Rams-Bears The NFL postseason is here, and with it comes a fresh wave of advanced data and analysis. PFF’s media research team has been hard at work this week, preparing for kickoff by pulling data-driven insights and talking points for our broadcast partners around the league. Now, we’re sharing those same nuggets with you. So, whether you’re looking to hit on your bets or just get smarter about the game, these are the key storylines to know for every divisional round contest. Want the same insights trusted by all 32 NFL teams and our broadcast partners? Subscribe to PFF+ and get everything you need to win your fantasy season and gain an edge at the sportsbook. Houston Texans @ New England Patriots The Texans offense will need a clear plan to handle New England’s interior pass rush. This season, the Patriots rank first in the NFL in both pass-rush win rate (21.1%) and pressure rate (15.7%) from players lined up between the tackles. Interior defender Cory Durden has been the catalyst, posting an 18.2% pass-rush win rate inside, the second-highest mark among all interior defenders. Interior pass protection was a major weakness for Houston a season ago, but that unit has taken a significant step forward in 2025. After allowing a 17.2% pressure rate from the interior offensive line last season (29th in the NFL), the Texans have cut that figure down to 12.3% this year, ranking 10th league-wide. On the other side of the matchup, the left side of New England’s offensive line is anchored by rookies Will Campbell and Jared Wilson, both of whom struggled in last week’s wild-card win over the Chargers. Campbell surrendered a season-high five pressures, including a sack, while Wilson tied his season highs with six pressures allowed and two sacks conceded. That duo now faces one of the NFL’s most dominant defensive lines, led by edge rushers Will Anderson Jr. and Danielle Hunter. The Texans’ star pairing combined for 176 total pressures this season — the most by any pass-rushing duo in the league. Los Angeles Rams @ Chicago Bears One of the best schematic matchups of the weekend features the Rams’ man/duo run game against the Bears defense. Sean McVay and company lean on this concept at the highest rate in the league, calling man/duo on 41% of their designed rushing attempts. That commitment has produced strong results: the Rams are averaging 4.5 yards per carry and 2.0 yards before contact per attempt, the latter ranking third among all offenses. Chicago, however, has been one of the league’s toughest units to run against when facing man/duo. The Bears allow just 3.1 yards per carry on the concept, the second-lowest average in the NFL, and they rarely give up explosive gains. Their 4.9% explosive run rate allowed against man/duo ranked seventh-best during the regular season. Beyond the run game, this matchup also sets up a potential downfield passing battle. Matthew Stafford leads all quarterbacks this season, including the playoffs, in pass attempts traveling 20 or more yards downfield, with 91. Caleb Williams is close behind with 84 such attempts, ranking second overall. The production has followed the volume. Williams’ 12 deep touchdown passes lead all quarterbacks, while Stafford’s 11 are tied for the second-most. Which defense can better withstand these vertical attacks may ultimately swing the matchup. Chicago has been vulnerable at times, allowing 12 touchdowns on passes of 20 or more yards downfield — the second-most in the regular season — compared to nine allowed by the Rams. However, the Bears’ secondary has also been opportunistic, leading the league with 10 interceptions on deep attempts and picking off a staggering 15% of deep passes faced, the second-best rate among all teams. Los Angeles has quietly defended the deep ball well, surrendering an 80.8 passer rating on throws of 20-plus yards, the 11th-lowest mark in the league. With two aggressive quarterbacks and defenses capable of producing splash plays, the battle downfield could be decisive.
PFF Grades and Data: Key insights for Texans-Patriots, Rams-Bears
Amarius Mims wants Dalton Risner back
For as long as Joe Burrow has been in the NFL, the Cincinnati Bengals have been trying to get their offensive line right. From band-aid tackles to what seems like a revolving door of guards, the better part of the last six years has left fans hoping for improvements in the offseason. Despite Burrow missing […] For as long as Joe Burrow has been in the NFL, the Cincinnati Bengals have been trying to get their offensive line right. From band-aid tackles to what seems like a revolving door of guards, the better part of the last six years has left fans hoping for improvements in the offseason. Despite Burrow missing time with a turf toe injury, the Bengals quietly had their best offensive line of the Burrow era. Ted Karras was a strong, reliable force in the middle, just as he’s always been. Dylan Fairchild gave us a lot to look forward to after his rookie year. Despite getting older, Orlando Brown Jr. was solid overall on the left side. Former first-round pick Amarius Mims flashed All-Pro potential, especially late in the season. All four of those players are under contract in Cincinnati next season. The one who isn’t? Guard Dalton Risner. Risner was signed by the Bengals in late August before being forced into game action when Lucas Patrick went down with an injury in the season opener. Risner wasn’t quite in football shape yet, it would appear. He would move back to the bench in favor of rookie Jalen Rivers for a few weeks before making his way back into the starting lineup and not looking back. When James Rapien asked Mims about his growth this year, he gave Risner tons of credit for his success. Mims made it extremely clear that he wants Risner back and even joked that he would sign him to the contract himself if he could. “I feel like he’s one of the best right guards in the NFL,” Mims said in the full conversation. “He’s helped my game tremendously. As you can see, once we step down beside each other, each week you can see us getting better and better beside each other. I fully stand behind him. I fully support him. I want him back. I want him to be my right guard next year. I won’t rest until he is my right guard next year.” Mims also took to his personal Twitter account to vouch for his teammate. Mims wants Risner back. The vast majority of fans do as well. It would make sense to have continuity on an offensive line that finally put it together for the 0ft-injured face of the franchise. But both sides have to want that to happen. As far as Risner goes, he has also made it very clear that he wants to return to Cincinnati. He went as far as to say he hopes the Bengals reward him with a new contract before free agency in March. This feels like a layup. The Bengals can appease their fans, appease their fanbase, and keep a quality player in their building, likely for a hometown discount (to an extent). Time will tell if the two sides come to an agreement, but there certainly appears to be momentum for a deal to get done, something the two sides can make happen at any time. See More: Cincinnati Bengals free agency
Dolphins set for busy Monday with three interviews
NFL rules restrict coaches under contract with a team from having an in-person interview with another team to fill a vacancy until January 19. The Miami Dolphins have been patient, conducting virtual interviews over the past week as they waited for the restriction to be lifted on Monday, and they are now set to have […] NFL rules restrict coaches under contract with a team from having an in-person interview with another team to fill a vacancy until January 19. The Miami Dolphins have been patient, conducting virtual interviews over the past week as they waited for the restriction to be lifted on Monday, and they are now set to have a busy day with multiple interviews as soon as permitted. According to multiple reports, Miami has three interviews scheduled tomorrow. According to ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler, the Dolphins are set to meet with Detroit Lions defensive coordinator Kelvin Sheppard on Monday morning. Sheppard, a former NFL linebacker, retired from playing the game in 2018 after an eight-year career including two seasons with the Dolphins, and moved into coaching in 2021 as the Lions’ outside linebackers coach. He moved up to the linebackers coach in 2022 and assumed the defensive coordinator position this year. NFL Insider Josina Anderson reported earlier in the week that Las Vegas Raiders defensive coordinator Patrick Graham was planning to fly to Miami on Sunday to be ready for a Monday interview as well. Graham has been the defensive coordinator for the Raiders since 2022, following a two-year stint as the New York Giants defensive coordinator and assistant head coach. In 2019, Graham served as the Dolphins’ defensive coordinator. He has also coached for the Green Bay Packers, New England Patriots, Toledo, Notre Dame, Richmond, and Wagner in his career. According to ESPN’s Adam Schefter, Green Bay Packers defensive coordinator Jeff Hafley is scheduled to interview with the Dolphins on Monday as well. Hafley is seen as the frontrunner to become Miami’s next head coach, but he has an interview with the Tennessee Titans scheduled for Tuesday. The interviews with Sheppard and Graham would meet the NFL’s Rooney Rule, which requires teams to interview two minority candidates for head coaching or general manager positions. If Hafley is their choice for the position, they could look to end Monday’s interview with the coach signed and announced as the team’s replacement for Mike McDaniel. Hafley has spent the last two seasons as the Packers’ defensive coordinator following a four-year stint as the head coach at Boston College. He has worked at both the NFL and collegiate levels throughout his career, primarily focused on defense. In the NFL, he has worked with the Packers, San Francisco 49ers, Cleveland Browns, and Tampa Bay Buccaneers. See More:
Falcons hire Kevin Stefanski for head coaching vacancy
The Miami Dolphins are set to hold at least one virtual head coaching interview on Sunday, meeting with Buffalo Bills offensive coordinator Joe Brady. They are also preparing their schedule for in-person interviews next week, moving into the second round of talks with potential hires. They lost one available candidate on Saturday, however, as the […] The Miami Dolphins are set to hold at least one virtual head coaching interview on Sunday, meeting with Buffalo Bills offensive coordinator Joe Brady. They are also preparing their schedule for in-person interviews next week, moving into the second round of talks with potential hires. They lost one available candidate on Saturday, however, as the Atlanta Falcons announced they were hiring Kevin Stefanski to fill their head coaching vacancy. Stefanski interviewed with Miami last Wednesday. The Cleveland Browns head coach was fired after the season and was therefore free to interview in person and sign with another team. Under NFL rules, coaches who are still under contract with a team cannot conduct in-person visits until January 19. Coaches of playoff teams cannot conduct in-person interviews until their team is eliminated or during the bye week before the Super Bowl. Nine teams around the league have been looking for a new head coach this offseason. That number is now down to seven with the Stefanski hiring in Atlanta and former Baltimore Ravens head coach John Harbaugh signing with the New York Giants. Stefanski spent six years with the Browns and was named the NFL Coach of the Year twice. The rest of his NFL career, from 2006 to his hiring by Cleveland in 2020, was with the Minnesota Vikings, where he worked from assistant to the head coach through multiple offensive coaching roles, including serving as offensive coordinator in 2019. “In Kevin Stefanski, we have found a coach with the right vision, focus and demeanor to lead our team into the future,” Falcons owner Arthur Blank said in the press release announcing Stefanski’s hire. “From all our research and a wonderful visit with him tonight, I believe he is the right coach to take the talent on our roster to a new level and to work with Matt, our new GM and all our football personnel to build on the strong foundation in place and take it to new heights. He has a great plan for his staff, and he’s learned many things during his stops in Cleveland and Minnesota that have prepared him for this moment. Our objective is to win games and contend for championships every year and that is where our shared focus will remain. We are committed to putting all necessary support and resources around Coach Stefanski to achieve that success and the work has already begun.” Falcons President of Football Operations Matt Ryan said, “We’re thrilled to land a lead-by-example leader in Kevin Stefanski who brings a clear vision for his staff, our team and a closely aligned focus on building this team on fundamentals, toughness and active collaboration with every area of the football operation. Coach Stefanski is a team-first leader who puts a premium on accountability for everyone and a player-driven culture. His experience in Cleveland and Minnesota has given him a great understanding of the importance of working in sync with scouting, personnel and the rest of the football staff to maximize talent across the roster and in doing everything possible to put our players in the best position to succeed. Kevin’s style of leadership, combined with the staff and infrastructure in place here in Atlanta, gives us confidence in our shared vision for the team and we are excited to have him as the leader of our football team.” The Dolphins had requested a second interview with Stefanski, keeping him among their possible hires. Green Bay Packers defensive coordinator Jeff Hafley is believed to be the front-runner to be Miami’s next head coach, but no decisions have been made and the team is expected to hold several more interviews before making an offer. See More:
Discussion: Who should Detroit Lions fans root for in Rams vs. Bears, Texans vs. Patriots?
Another day of NFL playoffs, and another day of exciting football games. The Buffalo Bills suffered another heartbreaking postseason loss in overtime to the Denver Broncos in a controversial finish that will likely lead to days of debating about officiating. I almost made this Question of the Day about the enforcement of pass interference, but […] Another day of NFL playoffs, and another day of exciting football games. The Buffalo Bills suffered another heartbreaking postseason loss in overtime to the Denver Broncos in a controversial finish that will likely lead to days of debating about officiating. I almost made this Question of the Day about the enforcement of pass interference, but I think I’ve stated my case about making it a 15-yard penalty max enough times. We don’t even need to talk about the 49ers vs. Seahawks slaughtering. So, instead, let’s turn to Sunday’s slate of games, where we could be in for another couple thrillers. Early on, the Houston Texans head to Foxborough to take on the New England Patriots, and to close out the Divisional Round, the Chicago Bears host the Los Angeles Rams. Just like on Saturday, I’m going to provide my own rooting guide based on my own preferences. Feel free to tag along or root for whoever you please. Today’s Question of the Day is: Who should Lions fans be rooting for in Sunday’s Divisional Round playoff games? My answer: Texans vs. Patriots For me, this is all about historical success. While this version of the Patriots is far less obnoxious than the Tom Brady/Bill Belichick one, it’s still the same organization and fans. The Boston area simply does not need any more sports success than they’ve already had. Spread the love a little bit. Meanwhile, the Texans are fun and exciting, and they’re certainly a model of how a team with a dominant defensive front can still win in this league. They have never made a Conference Championship game since their creation in 2002, and while it would be mildly embarrassing if a franchise so new were to get to the Super Bowl before the Lions, I still root for underdogs like them. Rams vs. Bears This should be a relative no-brainer for Lions fans, but I just cannot root for a division rival in the playoffs. Not to mention the viewing frustration of a team that regularly plays terrible football for three quarters and somehow pulls themselves out of it every time. They just can’t keep getting away with it. But here’s the part where I know I’ll lose some Lions fans: I want Matthew Stafford to win another Super Bowl, and I want him to make the Hall of Fame. While I’m always a fan of the Lions above everything else in the NFL, I’m also a fan of individual players in this league. I have long admired Stafford for his toughness, his physical gifts, and extremely competitive spirit. He’s funny (when he wants to be), he cunning, and during his 12 years in Detroit, he never whined, complained, or did anything even close to stir up controversy. In short, I respect the hell out of him, and I like to see good people and great players rewarded. Will it sting a bit to see him inducted into the Hall of Fame with most of his success being in Los Angeles? Yeah, sure. But that moment isn’t about me. It’s about a damn good player who was—and still is—extremely fun to watch. See More:
NY Giants news: Cleveland Browns might wreck plan to hire Todd Monken as OC
New York Giants coach John Harbaugh (it is still nice to write that) is expected to want to bring Todd Monken, his offensive coordinator the last three seasons with the Baltimore Ravens, to the Giants to work with quarterback Jaxson Dart. The Cleveland Browns, though, appear to be an obstacle. Monken will interview in-person on Tuesday for the Browns vacant head-coaching job, according to ESPN NFL insider Jeremy Fowler. Monken has already has a virtual interview with the Browns, who fired Kevin Stefanski at the end of the season. Monken, 59, was head coach at Southern Miss from 2013-2015, but has never been an NFL head coach. Monken was offensive coordinator of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers from 2016-2018, and held that same role with the Browns in 2019. He was offensive coordinator at Georgia from 2020-2022 before returning to the NFL with the Ravens. When Monken was hired to run Harbaugh’s offense in Baltimore, he laid out his six pillars for what makes a good offense in a conversation with the Ravens’ official website. Those are: Don’t turn it over Be explosive Score touchdowns in the red zone Be good on third down Don’t have lost yardage plays Have an athletic quarterback who can make off-schedule plays “I don’t care if it’s with a fullback, without a fullback, four wide [receivers], three wide [receivers]. The reality is that there are a lot of ways to skin a cat, but still the principles of how you win are the same,” Monken said at the time. If Monken gets the Cleveland job, Harbaugh will have to go to Plan B. BBV’s Chris Pflum recently listed Mike Kafka, former Miami Dolphins coach Mike McDaniel, Denver Broncos’ quarterbacks coach Davis Webb, and Los Angeles Rams’ passing game coordinator Nate Scheelhasse as other possibilities. See More:
Michael Clay to return as Eagles special teams coordinator
The Eagles contract with special teams coordinator Michael Clay was set to expire, and he even went and interviewed for the same role down in Tampa Bay. Just days later, however, it looks like the coach is returning to Philly on a new deal. Among the long list of issues for the Eagles last season, […] The Eagles contract with special teams coordinator Michael Clay was set to expire, and he even went and interviewed for the same role down in Tampa Bay. Just days later, however, it looks like the coach is returning to Philly on a new deal. Among the long list of issues for the Eagles last season, special teams wasn’t a particularly big concern. Jake Elliott missing kicks was a lowlight, but otherwise, two defensive players earned Player of the Week awards on special teams, and they were blocking kicks pretty regularly. Punter Braden Mann consistently gave the Eagles defense good field position, and Clay’s group was well-coached in keeping the ball out of the endzone. Save for a very unpredictable Sydney Brown, Clay had the Eagles special teams prepared and ready to play each week. Having the special teams coordinator return to Philly is one less thing the front office will have to worry about this offseason, and they can stay focused on finding a new offensive coordinator. See More:
Sunday NFL Playoff News and Discussion
Bengals News AFC North Reflections: Mike Tomlin, John Harbaugh And The Bengal Who Faced Them More Than Anyone Nobody coached more games against Mike Tomlin and John Harbaugh than Marvin Lewis. The Bengals’ longest-serving head coach has made sure he reached out to both. It’s early, but mock drafts are already locking the Bengals into […] Bengals News AFC North Reflections: Mike Tomlin, John Harbaugh And The Bengal Who Faced Them More Than Anyone Nobody coached more games against Mike Tomlin and John Harbaugh than Marvin Lewis. The Bengals’ longest-serving head coach has made sure he reached out to both. It’s early, but mock drafts are already locking the Bengals into one prospect David Bailey is becoming the inevitable Bengals pick in early mock drafts. Bengals predicted to target Joey Bosa, others in free agency The Cincinnati Bengals might be major players in free agency this offseason. Zac Taylor and the Bengals are now under even more pressure to win in 2026 following latest NFL coaching change Bengals head coach Zac Taylor stands alone in a way no one could’ve expected entering 2026. Former NFL General Manager Drops Unpopular Opinion About Bengals Head Coach Zac Taylor An interesting point of view. NFL News 3-Round 2026 NFL Mock Draft: Raiders, Jets, Browns, and more select QBs as one surprise team reaches for Trinidad Chambliss Dante Moore’s return to school has NFL Draft boards shuffling since Ty Simpson and Trinidad Chambliss look like only worthy starters after Fernando Mendoza Broncos QB Bo Nix suffers broken ankle in win over Bills, will miss rest of season Denver Broncos quarterback Bo Nix suffered a broken ankle in Saturday’s 33-30 Divisional Round win over the Buffalo Bills and will miss the rest of the postseason, head coach Sean Payton told reporters. Falcons hire Kevin Stefanski: Former Browns coach takes over in Atlanta in Matt Ryan’s first major move The Falcons choose Stefanski as they look to snap an eight-year playoff drought 2025 NFL AFC, NFC Title Odds: Patriots, Seahawks Favored to Make Big Game At this point in the NFL season, only a few teams have the privilege of even seeing their name on an oddsboard. Bills miffed by officials’ ruling on pivotal INT in OT loss Buffalo Bills coach Sean McDermott sat by his locker after Saturday night’s playoff loss to the Denver Broncos, watching the same play about 20 times.
Why John Harbaugh is the right coach at the right time for the NY Giants
New York Giants fans overwhelmingly love the team’s decision to hire John Harbaugh as head coach. That is reflected in a poll here at Big Blue View in which 95.2% of respondents (5,227 of 5,490) said the hiring of Harbaugh was the right decision. The move has been nearly universally praised. Dan Duggan of The Athletic wrote that “Landing Harbaugh is like hitting the inside straight the Giants have been chasing all these years.” There are, though, always naysayers. Always doubters. Always people who look for reasons why things won’t work out. Are there valid reasons to doubt the Harbaugh hire? Sure. Nothing is ever guaranteed. Having success in one place does not mean you will definitely have success in another. So, let’s give the doubters their due. Doubter No. 1 — ‘Long-time listener, first-time caller’ I received an e-mail to the Big Blue View mailbag inbox from Daniel Selz. It’s really too long for a mailbag question, but is worth discussing. Daniel’s letter reads: One of the things I admire about your work at BBV is your generally even-keeled takes, not getting too high or too low, not getting caught up in the hyperbole of the ‘hot take machine’. Then this morning I read in your piece, ‘has there ever been a bigger, more stunning, more potentially franchise-altering move than this one by a New York team?’ And I don’t want to just single you out, everyone on the Internet seems sure this is the best, most amazing move in the history of sports and maybe everything. For fun as a thought experiment, I had Google Gemini help me compile the following table comparing Harbaugh to ‘Mystery Coach A’: Metric John Harbaugh Mystery Coach A Regular Season Win Pct. 61.4% 60.8% Super Bowl Titles 1 1 Playoff Wins 13 11 Playoff Losses 11 11 Top 5 Scoring Offenses 3 9 12+ Win Seasons 4 6 Can you guess who Mystery Coach A is? What if I tell you, like Harbaugh, he was also fired from his first head coaching gig for friction with his two-time MVP quarterback who wore number 8… Mystery Coach A is Mike McCarthy! And just as a thought experiment, let’s say the Giants were hiring Mike McCarthy right now, after whiffing on Harbaugh and Stefanski…it’s hard to imagine everyone and their mother would be saying hyperbolic things about this being the best moment in the history of their giant fandom. What gives? My point isn’t to claim we should have hired McCarthy or that i would have been excited about that, I’m just trying to understand what is driving such a difference in ‘vibes’ about Harbaugh vs. McCarthy, since the underlying key data about each’s performance seems shockingly similar (if anything–gasp!–you could look at the bottom two rows and have a preference for McCarthy right?)? One last question in the spirit of being a wet-blanket…in your opinion or based on what you’ve heard, what are Harbaugh’s weaknesses or shortcomings that need to fixed that led to him being fired from his last job? As a Giants fan of a certain age, it’s impossible not to remember the narrative that Tom Coughlin was too rigid, too hard-edged in Jacksonville, but with the G-Men, he softened up, started listening to his players a bit more and the rest is history. What about Harbaugh? From what I’ve read, it seems part of why he was dismissed was his fierce loyalty to/unrelenting stubbornness about (depending on your perspective) Todd Monken. Which then makes one a little queasy to read the online papers where it seems a foregone conclusion that Harbaugh is going to make Monken his OC here. Not even willing to consider a change. Not learning from his mistakes in the way Coughlin did perhaps? Valentine’s View Daniel, there really wasn’t any palace intrigue regarding the identity of ‘Mystery Coach A’ in your table. Anyone who has been reading Big Blue View in recent weeks should know that on several occasions I have pointed out that Mike McCarthy’s resume is almost identical to that of Harbaugh and Mike Tomlin. Except, of course, for those two pesky firings. I have always maintained that McCarthy’s accomplishments should not be downplayed, that he has many of the characteristics the Giants were looking for, and that the idea of the Giants hiring him shouldn’t have been scoffed at. Hiring McCarthy would have been fine. It wouldn’t, though, have been nearly as good for the Giants as hiring Harbaugh is. McCarthy and Kevin Stefanski are good coaches and would likely have improved the team’s fortunes on the field had they been hired. No other hiring would have been met with the excitement, or brought the instant credibility that Harbaugh did. The Giants have been flailing for more than a decade now, going mostly in the wrong direction. Harbaugh offers them the best chance for a course correction. He comes from a winning environment that he was a big part of establishing and maintaining. He brings with him knowledge of how the Ravens have been consistently good, and the cachet to get ideas implemented with the Giants. We are already seeing some of that take place. He brings a reputation with him for having a keen eye for finding quality young assistant coaches who could help set the organization up for sustained success. On the field and in the locker room, Harbaugh is a culture-setting CEO type head coach who brings the ability — and credibility — to set standards and hold players accountable. The Giants, and the entire organization, desperately need that. There are other good offensive or defensive coaches who could have been hired. None, though, with the reputation Harbaugh has for creating a winning culture and being willing to stand up to star players who may not want to do things his way. Yes, Harbaugh reportedly was unwilling to fire Todd Monken. I disagree, though, that he is unwilling to learn from his mistakes. He fired offensive coordinator Greg Roman
Eagles reportedly request to interview Colts OC Jim Bob Cooter for same coaching role
According to NFL Network’s Mike Garafolo, the Philadelphia Eagles requested to interview Indianapolis Colts current offensive coordinator Jim Bob Cooter for their same coaching role this early offseason for both teams: Under head coach Shane Steichen, the 41-year-old Cooter has served as the Colts offensive coordinator since 2023—having previously served as a passing coordinator for […] According to NFL Network’s Mike Garafolo, the Philadelphia Eagles requested to interview Indianapolis Colts current offensive coordinator Jim Bob Cooter for their same coaching role this early offseason for both teams: Under head coach Shane Steichen, the 41-year-old Cooter has served as the Colts offensive coordinator since 2023—having previously served as a passing coordinator for the Jacksonville Jaguars (2022) and an offensive consultant for the Eagles (2021) among his other prior pro football coaching roles. One of Cooter’s first coaching stops in the NFL was actually as an offensive assistant with the Colts back from 2009-2011, so there may be some organizational loyalty with Indianapolis as well. While at face, this is a lateral move, and it will be interesting to see if Indianapolis grants permission. It could at least be somewhat of a promotion, as Steichen consistently handles the offensive play-calling for the Colts. If that job would go to Cooter in Philadelphia, then it theoretically would be an elevation in offensive coaching duties. With Cooter’s coaching assistance last season, the Colts ranked 8th in most points per game (27.4 avg. ppg), and that was despite losing starting quarterback (and Pro Bowl alternate) Daniel Jones for the last four starts of the regular season due to a season-ending torn Achilles injury. Until Jones’s fractured fibula and then torn Achilles after midseason, the Colts were a historically elite NFL offense. Even with the unit’s diminished production down the final stretch, star workhorse Jonathan Taylor still rushed for 1,585 total rushing yards and 18 total rushing touchdowns (*leading the league) on 323 total carries. Should Cooter join the Eagles revamped offensive coaching staff, who recently dismissed ex-OC Kevin Patullo, one interesting name would be former Colts starting quarterback (and arguably future Hall of Famer) Philip Rivers to fill the theoretical vacancy for Indianapolis. The 2x starting Colts quarterback (and longtime Chargers passer) just shockingly unretired and came in relief of Jones to make 3 starts, and seems interested in pro coaching down the road. However, with his one son a rising senior and his other an incoming freshman in 2026, the 44-year-old may want to head coach high school football for at least one more season in Fairhope, Alabama, before “turning the corner.” If it eventually comes to it, current Colts internal replacement offensive coordinator options could include quarterbacks coach Cam Turner, tight ends coach Tom Manning, or passing game coordinator Alex Tanney. See More: Indianapolis Colts News