It’s a quarterback league, usually.
At this time last year, for example, we were focused on rookie sensation Jayden Daniels against Jalen Hurts, along with Josh Allen’s struggles to overcome Patrick Mahomes in the postseason.
Coaches stole the spotlight in 2025. Quarterbacks are still undoubtably crucial, but it’s the final four coaches who define their respective teams.
After six straight losing seasons in Denver, Sean Payton came in and got the Broncos off life support. Mike Vrabel similarly revived the Patriots, this year’s No. 2 AFC seed, after consecutive 4-13 seasons. Both are assisted by especially decorated coordinators (Denver DC Vance Joseph and New England OC Josh McDaniels).
Rams coach Sean McVay, who somehow continues to improve, faces Mike Macdonald, his Seattle counterpart whom many consider the McVay of defense. Both are under 40 (until tomorrow, when McVay will finally leave his 30s) and work with several of 2026’s top candidates, including Rams DC Chris Shula and Seahawks OC Klint Kubiak.
It’s Sean vs. Mike in both matchups. Each faces the biggest test of his season with a Super Bowl berth on the line. Here’s what you should know about those games (odds per BetMGM).
This article is from Scoop City, The Athletic’s NFL newsletter. Sign up here to receive it directly in your inbox.
Patriots (-4.5) at Broncos
How do I watch it? Our first Sunday game starts at 3 p.m. ET on CBS. If you’re heading to Denver, I’m seeing tickets starting at $390 on StubHub.
Home-field advantage? Significant. The Broncos are the league’s best home team this season (9-1 at Mile High) and are 6-1 in home AFC championships. As Steve Buckley noted in his story on the Broncos’ playoff record, “It’s easy to brush away that history, except Denver is still 5,280 feet above sea level.”
Weather? Arctic cold, by NFL standards. Forecasts call for 20 degrees at kickoff, down to feeling like 9 by the fourth quarter. Well below the low-30s the Patriots played in last week and the mid-40s Denver saw. Bundle up, folks.
Are these teams healthy? Pass rusher Harold Landry, who led the Pats with 8.5 sacks this season, continues to miss practice with a knee injury. Broncos running back J.K. Dobbins and starting center Luke Wattenberg could return from IR.
Key matchups? I’ll defer to my colleague Ted Nguyen, who shared these in his AFC title game preview:
Patriots LT Will Campbell vs. Broncos edge Nik Bonitto. “In just two playoff games, Drake Maye has been sacked 10 times and fumbled six times. Campbell has given up three sacks, including two strip-sacks in which he was beaten around the corner. New England must protect Maye and the ball, especially against Bonitto; the Broncos sack leader is excellent at cornering and forced two fumbles against the Bills.”
Broncos QB Jarrett Stidham vs. Patriots coverage disguises. “Stidham has not seen game action all season, and having to deal with exotic disguises in real time will be a difficult transition for him. The Patriots will have matchup advantages in their secondary, but the biggest drop-off from Bo Nix to Stidham is sack avoidance. Luckily for the Broncos, they have one of the league’s best offensive lines.”
What’s the pick? The Patriots win a tight one. Their defense will be the best Denver’s faced this postseason, and I expect Maye to continue to do enough to win.
Rams at Seahawks (-2.5)
How do I watch? This game follows at 6:30 p.m. ET on Fox. Tickets don’t come cheap, starting at $690 on StubHub. Ouch.
Home-field advantage? Seattle’s 12th Man is legendary, and Lumen Field still gets loud despite its various name changes. The Rams offense seems to level up on the road (31 points per game, compared to 28.9 at home), so this might not be as significant as usual.
Weather? Warmer than last week, at least for the Rams, but still chilly. It’s forecast to feel like 37 degree at kickoff, with a 54 percent chance of rain and basically no wind.
Any recent history? Since Macdonald took over the Seahawks, these NFC West rivals have split the series 2-2, including the perfect regular-season game in Week 16. Seattle’s kept each game close despite turning the ball over 10 times (to L.A.’s three).
Are they healthy? The Rams are healthier now than in their most recent meeting, when L.A. still managed over 500 yards of offense without receiver Davante Adams while its defense was missing invaluable safety Quentin Lake, a captain. Yesterday’s injury report had Seahawks starting left tackle Charles Cross out with a foot injury, but the team is optimistic.
Key matchups? I’ll pass that back to Ted, who covered these in his NFC title game preview:
Rams QB Matthew Stafford vs. Seahawks’ underneath defenders. “I have never seen a quarterback manipulate underneath defenders like Stafford does routinely. His no-look passes mean you almost have to coach your defenders to resist their intuition and stay in place until the ball leaves his hands. The discipline of the Seahawks’ underneath defenders will be key to stopping the Rams’ passing game.”
Seahawks QB Sam Darnold vs. the Rams’ disguises. “The Rams picked off Darnold six times in their two regular-season games, and defensive coordinator Shula will undoubtedly have some designer coverages to get Darnold to throw the ball into coverage or take a sack. Darnold has to be diligent in seeing the Rams’ coverage rotations and making good decisions.”
What’s the pick? This has the makings of another instant classic, and though Darnold should be better on the turnover front, I think the Rams’ reinforcements push them 3 points ahead of the Seahawks. (NFL insiders disagree, however.) If I’m right on both games, we’ll have this century’s third Rams-Pats Super Bowl.
Coaching Carousel: Baltimore nabs Minter
The head-coaching carousel has added Philip Rivers and still includes Mike McDaniel, whom the Bills met with in Florida
As far as Jim Harbaugh’s actual coordinators go, the Ravens won the Jesse Minter sweepstakes yesterday, landing this cycle’s most-coveted rookie head coach.
“Jesse was impressive throughout our incredibly thorough interview process,” said Ravens owner Steve Bisciotti. “He clearly understands the values, high expectations and history of the Ravens, and he has a great vision for the future.”
The 42-year-old Minter beat out Dolphins DC Anthony Weaver and Bills OC Joe Brady for the role, coming in to restore Baltimore’s defense to former heights. You should know:
Minter is familiar. He was a Baltimore assistant from 2017 to 2020, when he worked under John Harbaugh and alongside former DCs Wink Martindale and Mike Macdonald (Minter’s defensive system is similar that of his former peers, as beat reporter Jeff Zrebiec noted in his story on the hiring).
He has impressed. After Baltimore, Minter helped Jim Harbaugh win a national championship at Michigan before following Jim to the Chargers, where Minter established himself as a top defensive mind in just two seasons.
Two obvious questions remain: First, who does Baltimore tab as offensive coordinator? Jeff shares some ideas here. And who do the Chargers replace Minter with? Daniel Popper, who covers the team for us, shared eight candidates.
Extra Points
📊 Enticing options. The Packers defensive coordinator opening is one of the league’s top jobs, as is the Eagles OC role.
📓 Atlanta’s search. The Falcons are still looking for a general manager, though Kevin Stefanski brought along 33-year-old OC Tommy Rees from Cleveland.
🔮 John Harbaugh’s staff remains uncertain, but our Giants reporter, Dan Duggan, shared names in the running after the team requested to interview nearly two dozen assistants in Baltimore.
▶️ Yesterday’s most-clicked: Don’t write off Broncos quarterback Jarrett Stidham, along with how Tom Brady channeled his quarterback days to improve in the broadcast booth.
📫 Enjoyed this read? Sign up here to receive The Athletic’s free NFL newsletter in your inbox.
Also, check out our other newsletters.