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College basketball is back, and Michigan is again inching closer to overtaking the No. 1 ranking.

Here’s everything you missed in the ninth week of the regular season, and the latest Associated Press poll.

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Michigan can’t quite overtake Arizona

Arizona is still undefeated, but the Wildcats are barely clinging on to the top spot in the polls.

Arizona held on to the No. 1 ranking in the polls again this week despite yet another blowout win for Michigan over a ranked team. The Wolverines were just a single point away from Arizona in the AP poll.

The Wolverines cruised to a 30-point win over then-No. 24 USC on Friday night to get to 13-0 on the year. It marked their third 30-point win over a ranked opponent already this season, following wins over Auburn and Gonzaga. They are now the first team in nearly 30 years to have three such wins in a single season, and it’s only the first week in January.

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That’s only part of what’s been an absolutely dominant run for Michigan this season. Of their 13 wins this season, 10 of them have been by at least 20 points. More than half of those were by at least 40 points, too.

The top six in the poll remained unchanged. Arizona got to 14-0 after it beat Utah convincingly to kick off Big 12 play. Iowa State held at No. 3 after it beat West Virginia by 21 points on Friday in its Big 12 opener, and UConn remained at No. 4 after it won its 10th straight on Sunday against Marquette. Purdue and Duke then rounded out the top six after Isaiah Evans dropped a career-high 28 points on Saturday to lead the Blue Devils past Florida State.

Iowa was the biggest mover in this week’s poll. The Hawkeyes jumped up six spots to No. 19 after a 13-point win over UCLA on Saturday, which marked their fourth straight win.

While they are only three games into conference play, the Wolverines have clearly separated themselves in the Big Ten. They have a path to stay there over the next several weeks, too, as they won’t play another ranked opponent until the end of the month, when they host undefeated Nebraska and then travel to rival Michigan State back-to-back. The back half of their schedule is much tougher with both Purdue and Duke looming in mid-February and then Illinois, Iowa and Michigan State set for their final three games.

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But so far, very few teams have even come close to challenging the Wolverines. At the rate they are going, it’s only a matter of time before they finally catch Arizona.

Speaking of Nebraska…

The Cornhuskers might be for real.

Nebraska knocked off Michigan State on Friday night in what was the school’s first home ranked matchup in decades. Michigan State looked off for most of the night, committing 19 turnovers and making just six field goals as a unit in the second half.

The win for the Huskers was their 18th straight dating back to last season when they won the College Basketball Crown tournament, which is now the longest streak in the country. It also pushed the Huskers to No. 10 in this week’s poll, which is the program’s highest ranking since 1966.

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Michigan State, now with two losses this season, fell three spots to No. 12.

It’s easy to not believe in Nebraska basketball. The school is the only major conference team to have never won an NCAA tournament game, after all, and hasn’t even been since 2014. Friday’s win was just the Huskers’ second game against a ranked opponent this season, too. But they seem well on their way to a third straight 20-plus win season under head coach Fred Hoiberg, something the program has never seen.

While getting past the top tier of the Big Ten isn’t going to be easy down the stretch, especially considering what we just talked about with Michigan, Nebraska is in position to finally make a meaningful basketball run.

Games to watch this week

All times ET | * denotes neutral site

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Monday, Jan. 5

USC at No. 12 Michigan State | 8:30 p.m. | FS1

Tuesday, Jan. 6

No. 6 Duke at No. 20 Louisville | 7 p.m. | ESPN
No. 18 Georgia at Florida | 7 p.m. | SECN
No. 14 Texas Tech at No. 7 Houston | 9 p.m. | FS1

Wednesday, Jan. 7

No. 13 Alabama at No. 11 Vanderbilt | 9 p.m. | ESPN2

Saturday, Jan. 10

Wisconsin at No. 2 Michigan | 1 p.m. | CBS
No. 21 Tennessee at Florida | 12 p.m. | ESPN
No. 10 Nebraska at Indiana | 12 p.m. | BTN
No. 7 Houston at Baylor | 1 p.m. | Peacock

Sunday, Jan. 11

No. 16 Illinois at No. 19 Iowa | 12 p.m. | Fox

AP Top 25

The full Associated Press men’s basketball poll from Jan. 5, 2026.

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1. Arizona (14-0)
2. Michigan (13-0)
3. Iowa State (14-0)
4. UConn (14-1)
5. Purdue (13-1)
6. Duke (13-1)
7. Houston (13-1)
8. Gonzaga (16-1)
9. BYU (13-1)
10. Nebraska (14-0)
11. Vanderbilt (14-0)
12. Michigan State (12-2)
13. Alabama (11-3)
14. Texas Tech (11-3)
15. Arkansas (11-3)
16. Illinois (11-3)
17. North Carolina (13-2)
18. Georgia (13-1)
19. Iowa (12-2)
20. Louisville (11-3)
21. Tennessee (10-4)
22. Kansas (10-4)
23. Virginia (12-2)
24. SMU (12-2)
25. UCF (12-1)

Others receiving votes: Villanova 127, Seton Hall 31, USC 28, Utah State 27, Miami (Ohio) 22, Clemson 21, Saint Louis 14, LSU 14, Texas 12, Florida 11, Saint Mary’s 10, Kentucky 9, California 8, Miami 5, Indiana 4, Auburn 3, TCU 2, UCLA 2, Virginia Tech 2

Pete Carroll was fired by the Seattle Seahawks when he was 72 years old, but he wanted to keep coaching.

His next NFL stop turned out to be an absolute mess. And it didn’t last long.

Carroll was fired by the Las Vegas Raiders after the team went 3-14 in his first season, the team announced on Monday.

The team signed him to a three-year contract to become the team’s head coach in January 2025. Now, they’ll move forward with a new leader, having clinched the No. 1 overall pick in the 2026 NFL Draft, entering a new era.

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Carroll was brought in to improve the culture and the competitiveness of a Raiders franchise that has been among the NFL’s worst for decades. It was an odd choice, with a team nowhere near contention hiring the oldest head coach in NFL history. But Carroll, who had a long track record of success with the Seahawks, and at USC before that, seemed like he should be an upgrade over what the Raiders have had lately.

He wasn’t, and the Raiders decided it wasn’t worth trying again for a second season with him.

Pete Carroll doesn’t work out with Raiders

Carroll came to the Seahawks with a modest NFL resume from the 1990s. He had a mostly unsuccessful stint with the Jets and one season with the Patriots, which ended in a losing season. It looked like maybe he was just a good college coach when he followed that up with a tremendous run at USC. But in Seattle, he was a smashing success, with a 137-89-1 record and leading the team to its first-ever Super Bowl championship.

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His firing after the 2023 season by the Seahawks was surprising, but the Seahawks wanted to go in a different direction, and nobody questioned Carroll’s ability as an NFL coach. After the Raiders lost out on their publicized chase of Ben Johnson to replace Antonio Pierce as their head coach last offseason, they settled on Carroll. Not much went right.

[Get more Raiders news: Las Vegas team feed]

The Raiders made three other huge moves to try to improve right away. They hired Chip Kelly as the highest-paid offensive coordinator in the NFL. They traded for Carroll’s old quarterback in Seattle, 35-year-old Geno Smith. And they drafted a running back, Ashton Jeanty, with the sixth overall pick. All of those moves were win-now moves. Kelly was fired in midseason, Smith fell apart and was booed often by the home fans, and Jeanty had a disappointing and unproductive rookie season.

The losses piled up. After a season-opening win at the Patriots, the Raiders won only one of their next 15 games, and that was against a lowly Titans team at home. The losses became less competitive, like a 31-0 loss at the Eagles in Week 15. They did beat the Chiefs in Week 18, which was a nice sendoff but far from enough to save Carroll’s job.

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As losses piled up, it started to become clear that Carroll was likely to be replaced after just one season. The question became whether he would make it to the end of his first season.

Who will Raiders hire?

The Raiders’ opening will be a tough sell, like it was when Johnson decided to go to the Chicago Bears instead of Las Vegas. Perhaps the No. 1 overall pick and the ability to start fresh with a new quarterback, potentially Indiana’s Fernando Mendoza, will be a draw.

Brock Bowers and Maxx Crosby are unquestioned stars, and Jeanty was a top-end prospect, but the Raiders lack young talent other than them. Crosby’s future with the team is also in doubt after a disagreement over putting him on injured reserve for the final two games of the season. It’s a franchise that used to have championship glory but has been synonymous with losing for a long time. The Raiders haven’t won a playoff game since the 2002 AFC championship game. It’s a dysfunctional franchise that lacks a clear plan, as we saw by their moves this past offseason.

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The Raiders have had 14 different head coaches, counting interims, over the last 24 seasons. That speaks to their constant losing and also the lack of leadership from ownership on down. They’ll be hoping the 15th coach in 25 seasons does better, but it’s a long-term project.

It was also a long-term project when they hired Carroll. It was a weird fit from the beginning. And it worked out even worse than anyone could have expected.

The NBA announced on Monday that it will be returning to China for the 2026-27 preseason.

Dallas and Houston will be featured in a pair of preseason games at The Venetian Arena in Macao. The Brooklyn Nets and Phoenix Suns played at The Venetian in October during the preseason. Mavericks team governor Patrick Dumont is the owner of Sands Corp., which owns The Venetian Arena.

“I could not be prouder of having the Mavericks come to Macao and have the team experience the incredible hospitality that Sands properties provide,” Dumont said in statements released by the NBA.

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Houston also makes sense with the Yao Ming connection. The Rockets drafted Yao No. 1 overall in 2002, and he spent eight years in Houston. Yao was an eight-time All-NBA selection, a five-time All-Star, and was inducted into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame in 2016. In 2023, Yao was inducted into the FIBA Hall of Fame.

This past October, the NBA returned to China for the first time since 2019, when Daryl Morey, the Rockets general manager at the time, posted a tweet showing support for anti-government protesters in Hong Kong. The tweet was quickly deleted, but the damage had already been done. NBA games were taken off TV in China for a few years following the fallout, but that rift has since been mended.

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Multiple NBA stars like Stephen Curry, LeBron James, and Jimmy Butler have visited China in recent years as part of promotional tours and have drawn great support while visiting. The Mavs and Rockets will play the games on Oct. 9 and 11.

Despite missing the last three games of the regular season, Los Angeles Rams wideout Davante Adams still led the NFL in touchdown catches. Adams hauled in 14 scores, thanks to his elite route-running ability and Matthew Stafford’s trust in the veteran receiver.

But as the regular season came to a close, questions emerged regarding Adams’ availability for the playoffs. After missing three games with a hamstring injury, it was unclear whether Adams would be able to return when the team faced the Carolina Panthers in the wild-card round.

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Rams head coach Sean McVay put those worries to rest Monday, however, announcing Adams is expected to face the Panthers on Saturday.

McVay admitted Adams probably could have returned to action in Week 18, but the team took a cautious approach with the 33-year-old wideout, per ESPN.

McVay said the Rams “erred on the side of caution” with Adams’ return, and that it “pissed him off pretty good because of the competitor that he is.”

“But he’s got that look in his eye that I know he’s ready to go,” McVay said. “And man, you just feel better when you see No. 17 out there on our offense, and it poses a lot of different challenges for people to have to defend when you put that freaking stud back out on the grass for us.”

NFL insider Jay Glazer issued a similar report prior to Sunday’s game, saying Adams was pushing to play against the Cardinals, but was shut down by McVay. The Rams didn’t need Adams to pick up a win in the contest, though. After overcoming a slow start, the Rams’ offense broke out to score 37 points in a 17-point win over the Arizona Cardinals. That was likely exactly what McVay wanted to see after he announced he would play his starters in Week 18.

Adams was a revelation in his first season with the Rams. While the veteran posted his lowest yardage total since 2015, he made up for it with 14 scores. He proved to be the perfect complement to Puka Nacua and was a driving factor behind Stafford contending for the MVP award.

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Adams’ presence should go a long way toward giving the Rams an edge against the Panthers in the wild-card round. The Rams, however, are already heavy favorites for the contest, per BetMGM, and would have still been favored had Adams missed the contest.

We’re halfway through the 2025-26 NHL season, and as of now, it’s impossible to determine who’s going to come out on top. The Florida Panthers, who have been playing in pursuit of a three-peat Stanley Cup victory, are holding a respectable position in the Atlantic division, but lost 5-1 in this year’s Winter Classic against the New York Rangers. Also keeping this season interesting is the fact that there have also been several major trades and roster changes lately, and plenty of rumors and reports of possible trades to come.

The upcoming 2026 Winter Olympics will also throw the season into a bit of chaos, as the league takes a break for nearly three weeks in February, allowing NHL players to compete in the Olympics for the first time since 2014. (You can check if your favorite players will be playing for Team USA here.)

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Here’s what to know about how to watch the NHL, and find out some key dates as we head into the back half of the 2025-2026 season.

How to watch NHL games in 2026

Dates: Oct. 7, 2025-April 16, 2026

TV channels: ESPN, ABC, ESPN2, TNT, TBS, truTV

Streaming: ESPN, DirecTV, HBO Max and more

How long is the NHL season?

The 2025-26 NHL season began on Oct. 7 and the regular NHL season runs through April 16, 2026.

Will the 2025-26 NHL season take a break for the Olympics?

For the first time since 2014, NHL players will participate in the Winter Olympics. That means the NHL season will break from Feb. 6-Feb. 25 so that players can compete in Italy. Team USA will be exclusively comprised of NHL players including Matt Boldy, Kyle Connor, brothers Brady and Matthew Tkachuk, and more (a complete list is available here.) NHL players will also be playing for several other national teams including Canada, Sweden, Finland and Germany.

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What channel are NHL games on in 2025?

This season, NHL games will air across ESPN, ABC, ESPN2, TNT, TBS and truTV.

How to watch NHL games without cable

Receiver DK Metcalf returned to the Pittsburgh Steelers on Monday after serving a two-game suspension for a confrontation with a fan in Detroit during a Week 16 matchup with the Lions.

As could be expected, reporters covering the team were eager to ask Metcalf about the incident that led to his two-game penalty and voided a guarantee on $45 million in future earnings. However, the seven-year NFL veteran said nothing about the altercation nor its consequences.

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[Get more Steelers news: Pittsburgh team feed]

“I can’t say nothing about what happened,” Metcalf responded to the third question regarding the confrontation.

In all, Metcalf was asked about the fan incident six times. His lawyers surely approved his refusal to answer. Yet he acknowledged that he was surprised that his appeal of the suspension was unsuccessful.

Finally, Metcalf was asked how he felt about returning to the team and said he was excited to be back at the Steelers’ headquarters and with his teammates. Metcalf’s colleagues also missed him and attempted to include him in the on-field and locker room celebrations of winning the AFC North through FaceTime. The receiver had texted his fellow players earlier in the day.

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“We were playing so we could get DK back and we did,” Calvin Austin III told Yahoo Sports’ Jori Epstein. “He’s our leader. He’s our energy. He’s the guy.”

The Steelers split the two games Metcalf missed, winning Sunday’s regular-season finale over the Baltimore Ravens, 26-24, to win the AFC North and claim the conference’s final playoff berth. However, Pittsburgh’s passing attack certainly missed the big-play threat that Metcalf provides.

In Week 17 versus the Cleveland Browns, tight end Pat Freiermuth led the offense with three receptions for 63 yards. Against the Ravens on Sunday night, Austin led the team’s wideouts with 55 yards on three catches. Metcalf averaged nearly four receptions in his 15 games for Pittsburgh. More importantly, he averaged 57 yards per game and 14.4 yards per catch. As a result, quarterback Aaron Rodgers averaged 231 passing yards in the Steelers’ final two games without his top receiver.

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“My teammates gave me another opportunity to come back,” Metcalf said, via the Associated Press. “So just big shout-out to them.”

Metcalf has played in four career postseason games (all with the Seattle Seahawks), totaling 26 receptions for 451 yards and 5 touchdowns, averaging 17.3 yards per catch.

The No. 4-seeded Steelers host the No. 5 Houston Texans for a wild-card playoff matchup Monday. Kickoff is scheduled for 8 p.m. ET.

Subscribe to The Kevin O’Connor Show

KOC is joined by Wosny Lambre to break down Jaylen Brown’s standout performance this season, proclaiming himself the ‘best two-way player in the game’ and his career of proving people wrong. Is he having an MVP-caliber year?

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Next, they discuss the Suns’ victory over the Oklahoma City Thunder, the keys the Suns’ victory and OKC being on track to now win “only” 68 games. Should OKC make a trade to avoid complacency?

Plus, they analyze which teams should trade for Michael Porter Jr., whether the Nuggets can survive without Jokic and trades the 76ers should consider. The duo breaks down the current state of the Golden State Warriors. What moves must they make to become legitimate contenders?

Plus, David Lee joins to discuss what’s going on in Atlanta, whether the Hawks should trade for Anthony Davis and what the Hawks should do with Trae Young. Then, it’s time for Draft Class as David & KOC share this week’s Lottery Lessons and Weekly Movers.

(0:29) Jaylen Brown MVP?

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(12:14) Suns beat Thunder in comeback fashion

(28:51) Michael Porter Jr. trade suitors

(31:41) Gordon & Braun return for Nuggets

(34:26) Nuggets @ Sixers tonight

(42:10) State of the Warriors

(55:53) State of the Hawks

(1:18:28) Draft Class with David Lee

🖥️ Watch this full episode on YouTube

Check out the rest of the Yahoo Sports podcast family at https://apple.co/3zEuTQj or at yahoosports.tv

New York Giants quarterback Russell Wilson revealed that he played through an undisclosed torn hamstring before being benched for rookie quarterback Jaxson Dart. Wilson told reporters that he tore his hamstring before Week 2’s 40-37 loss to the Dallas Cowboys.

“I played that [Week 2] game, you know, I tore my hamstring on Friday in practice — the last play of practice. And I had a grade two [tear]. I couldn’t tell anybody. I had to go and play on it just because I knew the circumstance, I had to play on it, no matter what. I actually ended up going to the Dallas Mavericks’ facility, training. And, you know, kept it quiet, just trying to get treatment on it and just knowing that I probably couldn’t run from the goal line to the 10-yard line if I wanted to, but I feel like, you know, I got to play this game.”

Wilson said the Giants were unaware of his injury.

Despite the injury, Wilson had his best game as a Giant against the Cowboys, going 30-for-41 for 450 yards, three touchdowns and one interception. In the following game, he struggled against the Kansas City Chiefs, throwing for 160 yards and two interceptions.

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Dart was named the Giants’ starter in Week 4. He finished his rookie season with 2,272 passing yards, 15 touchdowns and five interceptions. The Giants finished the season 4-13.

Wilson spent the early part of his benching behind Dart before the team elevated Jameis Winston to the top backup role. The 37-year-old Wilson finished the season with 831 passing yards, three touchdowns and three interceptions.

The Giants were Wilson’s third team in three seasons, following one year with the Steelers and two with the Broncos after leaving Seattle. Despite his age and recent struggles, Wilson said he wants to continue playing next season.

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“I’m not blinking,” Wilson said when asked about his future. “I know what I’m capable of. I think I showed that in Dallas, and I want to be able to do that again. I just want to be ready, be as healthy as possible, and be ready to play ball.”

AFC East: Buffalo Bills | Miami Dolphins | New England Patriots | New York Jets
AFC North: Baltimore Ravens | Cincinnati Bengals | Cleveland Browns | Pittsburgh Steelers
AFC South: Houston Texans | Indianapolis Colts | Jacksonville Jaguars | Tennessee Titans
AFC West: Denver Broncos | Kansas City Chiefs | Las Vegas Raiders | Los Angeles Chargers

NFC East: Dallas Cowboys | New York Giants | Philadelphia Eagles | Washington Commanders
NFC North: Chicago Bears | Detroit Lions | Green Bay Packers | Minnesota Vikings
NFC South: Atlanta Falcons | Carolina Panthers | New Orleans Saints | Tampa Bay Buccaneers
NFC West: Arizona Cardinals | Los Angeles Rams | San Francisco 49ers | Seattle Seahawks

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The Seattle Seahawks weren’t expected to win the NFC West this season. They weren’t even a serious consideration. They had the same BetMGM betting odds as the Arizona Cardinals to win the division.

The Seahawks were just 3-2 through five weeks, with tough late home losses to the 49ers and Buccaneers. There were signs the Seahawks could be a good team early in the season. But nothing that indicated they’d lose only one more game the rest of the regular season and be the clear No. 1 team in the NFL by the end of it.

One of the themes of this season was that there were many good teams (which we can see in one of the deepest playoff fields in recent memory) but perhaps no great one. Maybe the Seahawks, with three losses by a combined nine points, will be remembered as a great team if they win three more playoff games, including Super Bowl LX.

Their defense is stellar, and was at its best in a huge Week 18 win against the 49ers. The Seahawks held the 49ers to 173 yards, the fewest San Francisco has had in a regular-season game under head coach Kyle Shanahan. Seattle’s offense had some issues but still finished third in points scored, eighth in yards gained and 10th in offensive DVOA. Sam Darnold gets criticism but over the last two regular seasons his teams are 28-6. That’s remarkable, even if he struggles to get proper respect.

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The Seahawks aren’t used to getting an inordinate amount of respect. They began this season with low outside expectations, considered one of many overlooked teams that weren’t close to being a Super Bowl contender. By the end of the season the Seahawks weren’t just a Super Bowl contender. They were the deserving Super Bowl favorite.

The Raiders were supposed to be competitive this season. That’s why Pete Carroll was brought in. Instead, they were the worst team in the NFL. That’s why Carroll was fired after one year. The Raiders never seem to have a plan, and it’s hard to trust them to make the right hire to help whichever quarterback will be the first overall pick in the NFL Draft. But the Raiders announced Tom Brady will be involved, which satisfies Mark Davis’ desire to have recognizable names associated with his team.

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The Jets being blown out again in Week 18, and finishing without a single interception on defense, which set an NFL record, sums up a miserable season. Aaron Glenn had a bad roster to work with, but the first-year head coach also didn’t do much with it. The Jets have to start the offseason by figuring out their quarterback problem, but that’s far from the only issue New York has to fix. This rebuild might take a while.

The Cardinals actually started this season 2-0. Kudos to the Cowboys for being the only team Arizona beat after that. The horrific finish to the season cost Jonathan Gannon his job. It was interesting that general manager Monti Ossenfort was retained, given that it could be a deterrent to head-coaching candidates and it’s not like Ossenfort has done a great job building the roster. After that disaster of a season, the Cardinals’ opening might be the most unattractive in this cycle.

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Cam Ward had the Titans off to a fast start in Week 18 before suffering a shoulder injury on a touchdown run. The good news is that injury shouldn’t affect much of his offseason. Ward was making progress in the second half of the season. Of his six best games of the season, in terms of passer rating, five came after the Week 10 bye. Now the Titans need to find the right head coach to get the most out of Ward.

There has been talk of Jaxson Dart’s long-term viability as the Giants’ quarterback, but did he really play below expectation? He was reasonable as a rookie, with some ups and downs. A final passer rating of 91.7 was more than acceptable. Had the Giants gotten the first overall draft pick — which would have been the case if they lost either of their last two games — then maybe there would be a reasonable debate. With the fifth pick, it seems smarter to build around Dart and get injured players like Malik Nabers back to full health.

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What went wrong with the Commanders goes beyond Jayden Daniels starting and finishing only five games all season. The roster was the oldest in the NFL and it looked that way, as many aging stars failed to play up to their prime level. The defense became one of the worst in the NFL. None of the team’s 2025 draftees, aside from seventh-round draft pick Jacory Croskey-Merritt at running back, had a positive impact. A rebound in 2026, even with a healthy Daniels, isn’t a guarantee.

The Browns didn’t show enough progress for ownership and fired Kevin Stefanski, a two-time NFL Coach of the Year. Stefanski should be one of the hottest names in this coaching cycle, while the Browns might struggle to attract the best candidates. The one thing Browns ownership can sell to candidates is youth. Cleveland became the first team since the 1970 merger to have rookie leaders in passing yards (Shedeur Sanders), rushing yards (Quinshon Judkins), receiving yards (Harold Fannin Jr.) and tackles (Carson Schwesinger), according to Yahoo Sports’ Andrew Siciliano.

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The Dolphins were competitive for a while, then lost three of their last four and the losses were by 13, 24 and 28 points. It’s not a great way to go into the offseason, and the offseason will be messy with the team looking for a new general manager and likely parting ways with quarterback Tua Tagovailoa. It was a lost season and far from a guarantee to be better in 2026.

The Chiefs lost to the Raiders in Week 18, a fitting end to a season we’ll remember as either the end of their dynasty or a strange pause in the middle of it. The Chiefs should bounce back if their luck in close games gets better, but everything is cloudy until timetables emerge on Patrick Mahomes’ recovery from knee surgery. It’s hard to project anything for Kansas City with that hanging over the franchise.

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This is a massive offseason for the Bengals. They have to make sure Joe Burrow wants to be around, then build the roster around him. Cincinnati has more salary cap space than you’d think (seventh-most in the NFL at the moment, according to Spotrac) and the 10th pick of the draft. Fixing an offensive line and entire defense in one offseason is almost impossible, but that’s the mission.

The Saints should feel better than you’d assume for an 11-loss team. They got better as the season went on, which was a good sign for first-year head coach Kellen Moore. Rookie quarterback Tyler Shough got in the NFL Offensive Rookie of the Year conversation for his strong play, and looks like he could be a long-term answer at the position. There’s a lot of work to be done in the offseason but it was a positive second half to the season, which included a four-game winning streak.

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Dak Prescott had one of the most honest answers you’ll hear from a player after the Cowboys’ finale, in which he said (correctly) that the Cowboys’ losing record wasn’t his fault. “One of the first seasons, if not the first of my career where I can’t directly correlate my play to the wins, the loss, or the end of the season or overall success of the season,” Prescott said. “So that makes it frustrating.” The translation: The defense needs to be better to support an offense that was pretty good. He’s not wrong.

When the Colts were 7-1, it seemed impossible that they could finish below .500. It wasn’t all Daniel Jones’ injury — the decline started before that — but that was the death blow. The Colts are bringing back head coach Shane Steichen and general manager Chris Ballard, which is fair after how the season started. The big question will be how to handle the Jones situation, as he attempts to come back from a torn Achilles. Jones is a free agent.

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The Buccaneers didn’t get the help they needed to win the NFC South, but they didn’t deserve to win the division after losing seven of eight before a season-ending win over Carolina. It was a team built to win now, so finishing under .500 and missing the playoffs is a massive disappointment. Baker Mayfield’s severe slump over the last half of the season is what needs to be figured out and fixed over the offseason.

The Ravens needed just a 44-yard field goal to win the division. Don’t blame Tyler Loop for missing it; this was a terrible season for the Ravens from beginning to end. There were plenty of chances to win Sunday night before Loop’s missed field goal, and countless chances before Week 18 to play like a playoff-level team. The Ravens’ 8-9 record was well earned. And now the Ravens have to deal with some fascinating offseason decisions, especially after firing longtime head coach John Harbaugh.

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The Falcons’ hot finish, winning four in a row, including one over the Rams, ultimately looked even worse for head coach Raheem Morris. We could see in that stretch that the Falcons were better than their 8-9 record. Atlanta cleaned house, firing Morris and GM Terry Fontenot. Team owner Arthur Blank clearly wasn’t happy with the direction of the team and wasn’t beholden to keeping the status quo after a late winning streak, which is a positive sign. The results simply weren’t good enough given the talent on hand.

Only two teams finished in the top 10 of DVOA in offense, defense and special teams: The NFC’s No. 1 seed Seahawks, and a Lions team that missed the playoffs. Detroit was third overall in DVOA. If you’re looking for the team everyone will be picking for a rebound in 2026, this might be it. The Lions still have plenty of talent, which makes a lost season even more frustrating.

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Winning five in a row to end the season is a positive and also a reminder of what might have been, had Minnesota’s quarterback play been even average. The Vikings’ approach at quarterback will be watched closely. Perhaps just as important will be if defensive coordinator Brian Flores returns. He should get some head-coaching interviews, and he could conceivably leave as a coordinator elsewhere since his contract is up.

Usually, being the fifth team in NFL history to make the playoffs with a losing record would be a muted accomplishment. For Carolina, it’s worth celebrating. The Panthers hadn’t won the NFC South since the 2015 season and had six straight double-digit loss seasons. While it’s hard to say Carolina has arrived, especially with a -69 point differential, winning the division is an important accomplishment. Even if the playoff stay might not be a long one.

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The Aaron Rodgers story is amazing. Only Tom Brady has had any level of success at age 42 among quarterbacks throughout NFL history. Rodgers delivered not one, but two go-ahead drives in the final minutes to help earn a division title for Pittsburgh. He went 11-of-14 passing for 133 yards in the fourth quarter. If that was Rodgers’ final regular-season game, it was a deserving send-off. Rodgers’ final season — if he retires — could have gone a lot worse, based on history.

Had you told someone after Week 2 that the Packers would finish with fewer than 10 wins, it would have been unbelievable. After Green Bay’s hot start, offensive lineman Rasheed Walker said he thought the team could go undefeated. That proclamation was ridiculous, but it wasn’t outlandish to think the Packers could be the NFL’s best team this season. They weren’t close. And the defense without injured Micah Parsons seems unlikely to lead a long playoff run.

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The Chargers going 11-6 with their injury issues, especially on the offensive line, is a testament to Jim Harbaugh. If the Chargers can somehow get defensive coordinator Jesse Minter back and also get their offensive tackles healthy, this team will be a popular Super Bowl pick next season. As is, the Chargers are a very good No. 7 seed and not an easy matchup for the Patriots in the first round. It also helps that the Chargers got some key players a week of rest.

The Bills are the AFC’s most interesting team. They have the best player in the field, quarterback Josh Allen. They have won five of six, including wins over the Steelers and Patriots, and came a 2-point conversion away from six in a row with another quality win against the Eagles. But it’s not like the Bills don’t have deficiencies, with an inconsistent defense and very little for Allen to work with in the passing game. The Bills could win the Super Bowl or be one-and-done.

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Should the Eagles have played for the No. 2 seed? The Eagles didn’t know the Bears would get upset in Week 18, opening up the possibility of taking the second seed. But a road of facing the Packers, rather than the 49ers, and then hosting a potential wild-card game against the Bears instead of going to Chicago, would have been much easier. The Eagles played backups and lost to the Commanders, when a win would have gotten them the second seed. We’ll see if the rest is more valuable than the difference in seed, but it’s worth keeping an eye on.

In the finale, the Bears were terrible for three quarters in a game they were trying to win, against a Lions team that was eliminated a week earlier. They rallied in the fourth quarter but still lost. That’s not good. The Bears had a successful season but that gets completely overshadowed if they lose to the Packers, their biggest rival, in their first playoff game. There’s a lot of pressure on the Bears this week. Let’s see how they handle it.

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The Texans were oddly unconcerned about winning Sunday, when a victory would clinch the fifth seed and a much easier first-round matchup against the AFC North champs (which ended up being the Steelers). They won anyway, with Davis Mills leading what could be an important game-winning drive after the Colts took a late lead. The Texans can still make a run as a wild-card team, especially considering they’re favored to win on the road in their playoff opener.

The 49ers were one win in Week 18 from the No. 1 seed, and fell all the way to No. 6 and a road wild-card weekend game against Philadelphia, the reigning champs. It won’t be easy to bounce back from that disappointment. The question is how the 49ers’ offense responds. The Niners had a great December, were absolutely shut down in the finale by Seattle and now they face another top-five defense in Philadelphia. It was a successful season given the injuries San Francisco dealt with, but there’s a danger of a very sour ending.

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Are the Jaguars the hottest team in the NFL? They’ve won eight in a row, the longest current winning streak in the NFL other than the Texans, who have won nine in a row. Trevor Lawrence is playing the best ball of his career after an adjustment period to Liam Coen’s offense. The defense has been very good at making big plays. No matter what happens in the playoffs, this has been a huge growth season for a franchise that needed something good to happen.

In the finale, the Rams trailed a terrible Cardinals team late in the third quarter before rallying. This was a good season and the Rams are a Super Bowl contender (especially with an advantageous wild-card weekend matchup at Carolina), but there were some troubling signs in the final few weeks. Getting Davante Adams back will be a huge help. The Rams are as dangerous of a wild-card team as we’ve seen in a while, assuming the mini-slump late in the season was an anomaly.

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It’s hard to imagine a better regular season for the Patriots. Mike Vrabel could win NFL Coach of the Year and Drake Maye might win MVP. The Patriots are set there for a long time. The roster got plenty of improvements last offseason and still has room to grow in 2026. They overtook the Bills for the AFC East title, and it will be hard for Buffalo to take it back. A trip to the Super Bowl is obviously possible, but no matter what happens in the playoffs, this was a phenomenal season in New England. It might be the start of something big.

The Broncos are a bit of an odd case. It’s hard to win 14 games in an NFL regular season. Getting the No. 1 seed in the AFC was an important and impressive accomplishment. Taking the AFC West from the Chiefs was the goal and they pulled it off. Yet, what’s the Broncos’ true level? They had a lot of close wins and some days on offense like Week 18, when they didn’t score an offensive touchdown, that make you wonder if they’ll be the latest No. 1 seed to get beat in their playoff opener. The Broncos should get more respect for what they’ve done this season, but it’s also fair to point out the shortcomings.

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The Seahawks’ comeback against the Rams in Week 16, in what was probably the NFL’s best game of the regular season, could end up changing the history of this entire season. The Seahawks got the No. 1 seed after that victory and are two home wins from Super Bowl LX. It will be very hard to beat Seattle given how good its defense is. Imagine how different Sam Darnold will be viewed if he wins a Super Bowl title. And a championship is certainly on the table for this Seahawks team.