Everybody accountable for Eagles’ epic collapse; Payments get one other shot at Chiefs

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🦬 Good morning to everybody however particularly …

THE BUFFALO BILLS

It should take one thing monumental — not a blizzard, not a mounting pile of accidents and positively not the Steelers — to cease Josh Allen and the Payments. Buffalo topped Pittsburgh, 31-17, and its transcendent quarterback was on the middle of all of it.

• Allen turned the first participant to throw for 3 touchdowns, rush for a landing and rush for a minimum of 70 yards in a playoff sport. The spotlight was a second-quarter 52-yard landing sprint, the second-longest landing run by a quarterback in postseason historical past.
• Allen’s passing touchdowns went to Dawson Knox, Dalton Kincaid and Khalil Shakir, whose magnificent catch-and-run proved to be the dagger.
• There are backups enjoying throughout a protection ravaged by accidents, however these backups are holding up. Kaiir Elam, who hadn’t performed a defensive snap since Week 6, had an important end-zone interception. A.J. Klein, who signed with the observe squad final week, led the group with 11 tackles.

Now comes the boogeyman: the Chiefs. Allen is 0-2 towards Patrick Mahomes within the playoffs in what’s rising as an all-time quarterback rivalry, however this will likely be Mahomes’ first highway playoff sport, and Allen cannot wait to play host.

There is no higher time for Buffalo to interrupt by means of.

👍 Honorable mentions

😧 And never such an excellent morning for …

THE PHILADELPHIA EAGLES

On paper, there was no motive to doubt the Eagles could be a powerhouse this season — and past — whereas making a severe run at avenging final 12 months’s Tremendous Bowl loss. They’ve a star-studded roster, a fearless younger quarterback with top-tier weapons, a protection bolstered by much more thrilling first-round picks, and a entrance workplace as aggressive as any. A ten-1 begin to the season proved all of that.

Then the NFL reminded them — and us — that the sport is not performed on paper, and even the brightest of futures can cloud rapidly. Philadelphia’s stunning collapse concluded with a 32-9 wild-card loss to the Buccaneers — Philly’s sixth loss in its final seven video games — and rampant points have been on show all through.

Let’s begin with the protection. The NFL is a league of tiny margins. Any drop off is noticeable, and large ones are disastrous. And the Eagles’ drop offs have been huge. They completed thirtieth in each defensive success price and defensive anticipated factors added this season. That is not simply dangerous. That is terrible and positively unwinnable. Here is the way it occurred:

• Final 12 months, James Bradberry allowed a 44.5 passer score as the first defender, second-best within the NFL (min. 75 performs). This 12 months, he allowed a 87.1 passer score as the first defender, forty seventh out of 53 gamers. He obtained benched for a brutal efficiency final evening: Baker Mayfield went 4-for-5 for 86 yards and a landing when Bradberry was the first defender. The lone incompletion was Mike Evans dropping a would-be landing.
• The backbone of the protection — the linebackers and safeties — fell off a cliff. Final 12 months, that group allowed 5.7 yards per try as the first protection defender, finest within the NFL. This 12 months that mark fell to 7.8, twenty third within the NFL. Some decline was anticipated after shedding a number of starters, however the incapability to seek out satisfactory replacements is an indictment on the gamers and entrance workplace alike. Large-name in-season additions Shaquille Leonard and Kevin Byard struggled.
• The cross rush was both too previous or too younger, and Javon Hargrave‘s departure harm a ton. Philadelphia was second in strain price final 12 months; it was 14th this 12 months.

Then you definitely get to the offense. Jalen Hurts struggled down the again stretch, and A.J. Brown lacking final evening did not assist, both. The offensive line took a step again, and Jason Kelce may need performed his final sport. The operating sport — one 12 months after being the league’s finest — regressed immensely.

We can not overlook important mind drain, both. Good groups get their coaches employed elsewhere, and the Eagles have been no totally different: Final 12 months’s offensive coordinator, Shane Steichen, turned the Colts’ head coach and impressed. Final 12 months’s defensive coordinator, Jonathan Gannon, turned the Cardinals‘ head coach and overachieved. Their replacements struggled, with Sean Desai even ceding defensive play-calling duties to Matt Patricia. Spoiler: It did not work. Employees adjustments have been being talked about earlier than final evening.

Lastly, there are the intangibles, the vibes. They have been decidedly dangerous. There was a reported disconnect between Hurts, head coach Nick Sirianni and offensive coordinator Brian Johnson. Brown deleted Eagles content material off his Instagram. The trouble by either side Monday, particularly in a playoff sport, was severely disappointing.

Clearly, Mayfield deserves a ton of credit score. So does head coach Todd Bowles, whose blitz-happy protection flummoxed Philadelphia, and Dave Canales, who continues to impress as offensive coordinator. However the Eagles will get a ton of warmth for his or her collapse, and it is deserved.

Shifting alongside, the divisional spherical is about:

• Texans at Ravens, 4:30 p.m. ET Saturday
• Packers at 49ers, 8 p.m. ET Saturday
• Buccaneers at Lions, 3 p.m. ET Sunday
• Chiefs at Payments, 6:30 p.m. ET Sunday

Tyler Sullivan has early previews for all 4 video games.

👎 Not so honorable mentions

🏈 Caleb Williams formally declares for NFL Draft

He took till the final day to do it, however USC star quarterback Caleb Williams declared for the NFL Draft. The potential No. 1 general decide posted his determination on Instagram, saying, “I nonetheless have loads to study and I am able to do no matter it takes.” Monday was the ultimate day for underclassmen to declare.

• Williams gained the 2022 Heisman Trophy following a 52-touchdown (42 passing, 10 speeding), five-interception 12 months. The Trojans went 11-3.
• Williams was once more glorious in 2023 — 41 touchdowns accounted for and 5 interceptions — however the Trojans went simply 7-5 within the common season earlier than he opted out of the Vacation Bowl.
• In keeping with our prospect rankings, Williams is the No. 2 general participant within the draft, solely behind receiver Marvin Harrison Jr.

Now that it is official, we will dive deeper into the fascinating prime of the NFL draft. The Bears have the No. 1 decide but additionally have Justin Fields. I believe drafting a quarterback is the fitting transfer, however I am just a few man with a e-newsletter! There are quarterback-needy groups at No. 2 (Commanders) and No. 3 (Patriots) and additional down as nicely. May Chicago commerce again for the second straight 12 months? If it stays at No. 1, is Williams undoubtedly the man? We’ll will get our solutions over the following a number of months.

Here is the complete record of underclassmen who declared.

🏀 Draymond Inexperienced returns, Warriors nonetheless lose

The Warriors lastly obtained Draymond Inexperienced again after a 16-game absence. The Grizzlies have been with out their total beginning 5: Ja Morant, Marcus Sensible, Desmond Bane, Steven Adams and Brandon Clarke are all injured. If there have been ever a time for Golden State to start out a turnaround, this was it.

It did not occur.

Family names (insert sarcasm right here) Vince Williams Jr. and GG Jackson set profession highs with 24 and 23 factors, respectively, as Memphis outscored Golden State 31-21 within the fourth quarter for a 116-107 victory.

The Warriors are 18-22 and twelfth within the Western Convention. They’re solely OK on offense (thirteenth in effectivity) and they’re downright dangerous on protection (twenty fifth in effectivity). Even with Inexperienced again, these points do not simply disappear, writes Colin Ward-Henninger.

• Ward-Henninger: “What was alleged to be a beacon of hope — proof that when Inexperienced is on the courtroom with the opposite vets, this group is totally different — as a substitute become what might have been the ultimate straw. If we won’t beat this group, how can we conceivably contemplate ourselves even remotely within the championship dialog? … The Warriors have been suffering from the identical issues which have crushed all of them 12 months.”

That is what the Warriors are. However will they keep that manner? They’re reportedly open to buying and selling anybody besides Stephen Curry, and Colin has 10 stars who might unexpectedly be out there forward of the Feb. 8 Commerce Deadline, together with gamers Golden State might goal and gamers it might commerce away.

📺 What we’re watching Tuesday

🏀 Florida at No. 6 Tennessee (M), 7 p.m. on ESPN
🏀 Nuggets at 76ers, 7:30 p.m. on TNT
🏀 Thunder at Clippers, 10 p.m. on TNT
🏀 No. 16 Utah State at New Mexico (M), 10:30 p.m. on FS1