AFC West

The buzz around Ben Johnson and the Las Vegas Raiders appears to have been a facade.

The Detroit Lions offensive coordinator agreed to become the new head coach of the Chicago Bears on Monday, per Adam Schefter of ESPN. This came despite rumors that Johnson's interview with the Las Vegas Raiders went well and that Johnson was viewed as the team's top choice.

Despite the clear pursuit from the Raiders and minority owner Tom Brady, Jordan Schultz of Fox Sports reported that the Raiders were "never" the front-runners for Johnson.

From my understanding — and as I mentioned last week — there was never a point when the #Raiders were the frontrunners for Ben Johnson, per sources. They had an interview that went really well, but Chicago was the early favorite in this process, and they finalized it today. https://t.co/5fHoTppiUK

— Jordan Schultz (@Schultz_Report) January 20, 2025

Johnson only interviewed with the New England Patriots, Raiders and Bears. The Patriots came off the list when they hired Mike Vrabel. Las Vegas is now the only one of those three that doesn't have a head coach.

Dianna Russini of The Athletic reported that the Jacksonville Jaguars were also interested in Johnson, but the "setup" of the franchise wasn't what 38-year-old desired for his first head coaching gig.

The Jacksonville Jaguars were also interested in Ben Johnson but I'm told the setup wasn't in line with what he was looking for in his first head coaching job.

— Dianna Russini (@DMRussini) January 20, 2025

Johnson was one of the most sought-after coaching candidates in the current cycle due to the success he had with the Lions. The Lions finished with a top-five offense in all three of his seasons as the offensive coordinator.

He now goes to a Bears team with a promising young quarterback in Caleb Williams, strong receivers in Rome Odunze and D.J. Moore and an overall roster that has the talent to make a quick turnaround.

On the other hand, Las Vegas has several major roster questions and need to rebuild. The Raiders don't have a clear answer at quarterback, and they may not be in position to get a top-tier signal-caller with the No. 6 pick in the 2025 NFL draft.

Brady's presence could have made the Raiders job more attractive, but the overall uncertainty surrounding the team appears to have made Johnson's decision to head to Chicago easier.

There seemingly can't be a Kansas City Chiefs game these days without an extensive conversation about officiating, one clearly steeped in fan fatigue regarding the recent dominance of Patrick Mahomes, Andy Reid and the two-time defending champs.

During Saturday's 23-14 victory, the Houston Texans were called for two incredibly controversial penalties involving Mahomes, one for roughing the passer and the other for unnecessary roughness, with both of the questionable decisions helping the Chiefs extend drives.

Will Anderson was called for roughing the passer on Patrick Mahomes on this play.#HOUvsKC | ESPN, ABC, ESPN+ pic.twitter.com/bTn7Z5XoLZ

— ESPN (@espn) January 18, 2025

Henry To’oTo’o was called for a penalty after this hit on Patrick Mahomes. #HOUvsKC | ESPN, ABC, ESPN+ pic.twitter.com/w4E4cSI3FF

— ESPN (@espn) January 18, 2025

"I think he's a great manipulator," an opposing coach told The Athletic's Mike Sando regarding Mahomes. "He knows what to do: Run to the border of the field, slow down, step on the white line, get hit. There are timing elements. And then, once every so often, he will cut back and get the additional 15 yards."

"The only flops I've seen better than him are Rodney Dangerfield in Back to School," the coach added.

That level of gamesmanship isn't exactly uncommon in sports. Watch an NBA or Premier League game and you'll see plenty of foul baiting. That doesn't mean those dark arts are popular, of course, and many NFL fans have already decided that the Chiefs are the bad guys. So if Mahomes is baiting penalties, he's only throwing a bit more fuel on that flame.

The Las Vegas Raiders are expected to heavily pursue Detroit Lions offensive coordinator Ben Johnson to fill the team's head coaching vacancy, according to CBS Sports' Jonathan Jones.

"The Raiders are going to make a big push in the coming days to land Ben Johnson," Jones said on Sunday.

"Johnson's going to decide tonight and into tomorrow when and where he's going to interview," he added.

"The Raiders are going to make a big push in the coming days to land Ben Johnson."

Lead NFL Insider @jjones9 gives us all the latest 👀 pic.twitter.com/AgW9F8IV37

— NFL on CBS 🏈 (@NFLonCBS) January 19, 2025

Johnson, one of the top candidates in the current hiring cycle, is now available to take a head coaching job after the Lions suffered a 45-31 loss to the Washington Commanders in the divisional round of the playoffs on Saturday night.

The Raiders fired head coach Antonio Pierce on Jan. 7 before parting ways with general manager Tom Telesco two days later.

As Las Vegas looks for a new coach, minority owner and former legendary quarterback Tom Brady has been part of the search.

Jones previously reported that Brady "has been doing all he can to woo Johnson" to the Raiders.

"I'm told [Tom Brady] has been doing all he can to woo Johnson."

- @jjones9 on the Raiders' pursuit of Lions OC Ben Johnson pic.twitter.com/j9BfvB1qTo

— NFL on CBS 🏈 (@NFLonCBS) January 11, 2025

Detroit's offensive coordinator met with the Raiders virtually on Jan. 10, per NFL Network's Ian Rapoport. He also held virtual interviews with the Chicago Bears and Jacksonville Jaguars.

Rapoport noted on Sunday that Las Vegas is "enamored with" Johnson and he's still considered to be the "favorite" for the team's vacancy. The Raiders are working to schedule an in-person meeting with him.

From @NFLGameDay: A look at the #Rams mindset after a tumultuous week; Plus, the #Raiders are still enamored with #Lions OC Ben Johnson and will work to schedule an in-person interview with him. But he’ll have options. pic.twitter.com/l4ZrZAb1XY

— Ian Rapoport (@RapSheet) January 19, 2025

It's easy to see why Las Vegas has strong interest in Johnson, as the Lions went 15-2 during the regular season and owned the NFL's No. 1 scoring offense by averaging 33.2 points per game. Detroit also recorded 409.5 yards each week, the second-best mark in the league.

During the Lions' surprising postseason defeat on Saturday, they still crossed the 30-point threshold and averaged 7.7 yards per play.

As the Raiders attempt to bounce back from a 4-13 season, they're reportedly expected to intensify their pursuit of Johnson.

Officiating was a major talking point coming out of Saturday's game between the Kansas City Chiefs and Houston Texans, especially regarding roughing the passer and unnecessary roughness penalties assessed against the visitors when they were pursuing Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes.

NFL senior vice president of officiating Walt Anderson appeared on NFL GameDay and discussed those two calls in particular. Ultimately, he suggested the officials got the calls right.

NFL Senior VP of Officiating Walt Anderson appeared on @NFLGameDay with a detailed explanation of the controversial flags thrown Saturday for hits on #Chiefs QB Patrick Mahomes.

Short version, per Anderson: Under the rules, officials got both calls right. pic.twitter.com/64KASl2VuD

— Tom Pelissero (@TomPelissero) January 19, 2025

"If there's contact to the head of the quarterback, that's probably going to be called by the officials," Anderson said of the roughing the passer flag. "…On this play there was contact. … There's one place in the rulebook that it states by rule that when in doubt, officials are to call roughing the passer."

The other call came when two Texans defenders appeared to hit each other much harder than Mahomes when the quarterback was sliding, but Houston was whistled for unnecessary roughness.

"When No. 39 comes in and the hairline of his helmet strikes the helmet of the runner who is already on the ground, that's a foul," Anderson said. "Even if replay assist could help with that, when there's contact like that it's not going to be changed."

Both were consequential penalties, as the Chiefs ended up with a field goal on the drive that was extended by the roughing the passer on Will Anderson Jr. and a touchdown on the drive that included the unnecessary roughness flag.

Some of Houston's key players did not hesitate to call out the officiating after the game.

"Everybody knows how it is playing up here," running back Joe Mixon told reporters. "You can never leave it into the refs' hands. It is what it is. When it comes down to it, you can never leave it into the refs' hands."

As for Anderson, he said, "We knew it was going to be us against the refs going into this game. I talked to you guys earlier this week. I was just saying, I'm like man, we gotta go out there and we gotta do us better. In some instances we didn't do that, in some instances we did. We just gotta keep going man. Next offseason, getting guys together, everybody just coming together and just keep building that team chemistry and getting past this hump."

Quarterback C.J. Stroud also discussed the officiating:

Texans QB C.J. Stroud was asked about the officiating vs Chiefs:

"One of those things, you know what's up before you walk into the arena."

"I can't argue with the ref and at the same time play football. I gotta go do my job." pic.twitter.com/HBtrUIlO5Y

— Will Kunkel (@WillKunkelFOX) January 19, 2025

While Houston was undoubtedly frustrated by the calls, that is not the reason it lost.

The offensive line was invisible for extended stretches as the Chiefs sacked Stroud eight times. Multiple promising drives were cut short by sacks as the Texans quarterback had little time to throw throughout the game.

What's more, Houston's special teams were terrible.

Kicker Ka'imi Fairbairn missed two field goals—one of which was blocked—and an extra point. The kickoff coverage team also allowed a long return to start the game that set up a field goal, and Kansas City's final field goal came on a short field after a poor punt.

The Chiefs are attempting to become the first team in NFL history to win three straight Super Bowls, and any close calls that benefit them are going to draw additional attention as other fanbases become more frustrated with their constant winning.

Still, the Texans didn't make enough plays to escape a road game in Kansas City with a win.

Detroit Lions offensive coordinator Ben Johnson has been consistently connected to the head coach opening of the Las Vegas Raiders, which set the stage for a potential conflict of interest with Raiders minority owner Tom Brady broadcasting the Lions' playoff game Saturday for Fox.

The Hall of Famer handled it by never uttering Johnson's name.

Dan Shanoff of The Athletic noted Brady did not mention Johnson by name a single time during the broadcast. It stood in stark comparison to his comments about Lions defensive coordinator Aaron Glenn and Commanders offensive coordinator Kliff Kingsbury, but Fox danced around the issue throughout the coverage.

Brady's partner and play-by-play caller Kevin Burkhardt did mention Johnson at times, but the legendary quarterback didn't even do so during pregame coverage.

The approach came after Fox Sports president of programming and production Brad Zager shot down the notion of a conflict of interest when he told Andrew Marchand of The Athletic, "to me, the questioning of someone's integrity to say there is a conflict of interest is ridiculous and that's a shame."

Now that the Washington Commanders eliminated the Lions in Saturday's contest, attention turns to whether Johnson will be the head coach of the Raiders next season.

On Wednesday, NFL Network's Ian Rapoport reported, "there does seem to be an acknowledgement that Ben Johnson is the leading candidate, and there's a lot of people who think, frankly, he is getting it."

From The Insiders on @NFLNetwork: The #Lions have two coordinators who should get head coaching jobs this offseason. What's next for Ben Johnson and Aaron Glenn? pic.twitter.com/KtGqLTRhrk

— Ian Rapoport (@RapSheet) January 16, 2025

ESPN's Adam Schefter and ESPN's Jeremy Fowler also highlighted the relationship between Johnson and former Lions executive and current Commanders assistant general manager Lance Newmark when reporting Las Vegas was interviewing him for its G.M. position.

Brady is involved in the coaching search but appeared to avoid complicating matters with his approach to the Johnson situation during Saturday's broadcast.

Coincidentally, Shanoff called it his "best performance as a broadcaster" to date, underscoring the progress he has made in his first season holding the position with Fox.

His next task may be helping his current team land the offensive coordinator he didn't even mention Saturday.

The Washington Commanders and Detroit Lions treated NFL fans to a thrilling NFC Divisional Round game Saturday, and the Las Vegas Raiders are reportedly interested in someone who helped construct both rosters for their vacant general manager role.

ESPN's Adam Schefter reported the AFC West team plans to interview former Lions executive and current Commanders assistant general manager Lance Newmark on Sunday. The Las Vegas G.M. role is open after the club fired Tom Telesco earlier this month.

The Raiders are also in the market for a new head coach after firing Antonio Pierce, which makes Newmark's connection with Lions offensive coordinator Ben Johnson all the more notable:

This is one to watch. A potential Ben Johnson-Lance Newmark pairing in Vegas is one that some around the league have been quietly monitoring for the last week. https://t.co/k14rXvO6TH

— Jeremy Fowler (@JFowlerESPN) January 19, 2025

Johnson and Detroit defensive coordinator Aaron Glenn are two of the top candidates during the ongoing coaching carousel, and Schefter also highlighted Newmark's relationship with the two potential future head coaches.

While hiring him as G.M. could give the team an inside lane in the Johnson sweepstakes in particular considering the Detroit O.C. has also been linked to the Chicago Bears, there is also something to be said about establishing immediate familiarity between the two positions.

This offseason is something of a reset for the Raiders, and hiring a new head coach and general manager will put them on the same timeline and inevitably link them together as their tenures progress. Having a relationship that is already established between Newmark and Johnson or Glenn should lead to even more chemistry as they build the roster.

Yet Las Vegas may have competition for Newmark as well.

The New York Jets completed an interview with him for their G.M. spot earlier this season, indicating he is a name on the radar of multiple teams around the league.

Fortunately for the Raiders, he is not their only candidate.

Josh Alper of Pro Football Talk reported the team will have second interviews with New York Giants assistant G.M. Brandon Brown and Los Angeles Chargers assistant G.M. Chad Alexander on Monday.

As for Newmark, he began his NFL career as a staff assistant on the San Diego Chargers before joining the Lions for a 26-year tenure that saw him climb within the organization from area scout to national scout to director of college scouting all the way to senior director of player personnel.

While Detroit saw its Super Bowl hopes come to an end Saturday, it still went 15-2 and earned the NFC's No. 1 seed and the first-round bye that comes with it. It also reached the NFC Championship Game last season.

The 2024 season was Newmark's first with the Commanders as the assistant general manager.

All Washington did was select Jayden Daniels with the No. 2 overall pick and go from a team that hadn't finished with a winning record since 2016 into a 12-5 playoff squad that is now just one win away from reaching the Super Bowl.

The future is bright in both Detroit and Washington, and the Raiders have clearly taken notice of the roster construction for both if they are interviewing Newmark.

NFL referee Clay Martin explained the penalty he called on the Houston Texans during Saturday night's Divisional Round game by saying Kansas City Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes was "considered defenseless" while sliding.

"He slid, obviously, and when he slides, he is considered defenseless," Martin told KPRC2's Aaron Wilson (h/t NFL Network's Tom Pelissero.) "The onus is on the defender. I had forcible contact there to the hairline, to the helmet."

Referee Clay Martin told pool reporter @AaronWilson_NFL of the second penalized hit on #Chiefs QB Patrick Mahomes today: “(W)hen he slides, he is considered defenseless. The onus is on the defender. I had forcible contact there to the hairline, to the helmet.” pic.twitter.com/jI9INmhhWJ

— Tom Pelissero (@TomPelissero) January 19, 2025

Texans linebacker Henry To'oTo'o was flagged for a 15-yard penalty after hitting a sliding Mahomes in the third quarter.

Henry To’oTo’o was called for a penalty after this hit on Patrick Mahomes. #HOUvsKC | ESPN, ABC, ESPN+ pic.twitter.com/w4E4cSI3FF

— ESPN (@espn) January 18, 2025

The Chiefs clinched a spot in the AFC Championship Game with a 23-14 win.

The penalty on To'oTo'o marked the second time the Texans were called for roughing the passer. Will Anderson was also flagged after hitting Mahomes in the first quarter.

Will Anderson was called for roughing the passer on Patrick Mahomes on this play.#HOUvsKC | ESPN, ABC, ESPN+ pic.twitter.com/bTn7Z5XoLZ

— ESPN (@espn) January 18, 2025

Martin said in his postgame pool interview that he decided to call the penalty because of "forcible contact to the face mask area."

Anderson said after the loss that the Texans "knew it was going to be us against the refs going into this game."

Will Anderson: “We knew it was going to be us versus the refs going into this game.” pic.twitter.com/FReVbYspl5

— Will Kunkel (@WillKunkelFOX) January 19, 2025

To'oTo'o also expressed dissatisfaction with the officiating following the Texans' loss.

"You can't really, I don't know. It makes me mad, but it is what it is, honestly," To'oTo'o said. "Nothing much you can do."

To'oTo'o continued: "As soon as the quarterback leaves the pocket, he's a runner. And he gets treated as a runner, in my opinion. So, runners slide, and get hit, and stuff like that doesn't happen."

Texans linebacker Henry To'oTo'o expresses great frustration with the officiating in protection of Patrick Mahomes.

“It makes me mad. But it is, what it is, honestly.” pic.twitter.com/eC1eO4jCZX

— Will Kunkel (@WillKunkelFOX) January 19, 2025

With the victory, the Chiefs advanced to the AFC Championship Game for the seventh time in as many seasons with Mahomes as starter.

Kansas City will be taking on either the Bills or Ravens for a shot at their third straight Super Bowl win next Sunday. The two remaining AFC competitors kick off their own Divisional Round clash Sunday evening at 6:30 p.m. ET.

LeBron James expressed his appreciation for Travis Kelce on Saturday night.

The Los Angeles Lakers star took to X to congratulate the Kansas City Chiefs tight end for setting the NFL record for the most 100 receiving yard games in the postseason during the Chiefs 23-14 victory over the Houston Texans.

@tkelce Congrats brother!! NFL record for most 100 rec yard games(9). 🔥🔥🔥🫡

— LeBron James (@KingJames) January 19, 2025

Kelce had seven catches for 117 yards and a touchdown in the victory and accounted for more than half of the team's total yards. It was his ninth playoff game with at least 100 receiving yards, which broke the tie between Kelce and legendary wide receiver Jerry Rice.

James is a noted supporter of the Cleveland Browns but Kelce is from the Cleveland area and James also appeared on Wednesday's episode of the New Heights podcast that is hosted by Kelce and his brother Jason.

While James may not root for Kelce and the Chiefs all of the time, his support after Saturday's performance shows that he is hoping Kelce continues to make the record books.

Patrick Mahomes praised Travis Kelce's stellar performance following the Kansas City Chiefs' 23-14 divisional-round playoff win over the Houston Texans on Saturday.

"You know 87 was gonna show up whenever it's a big time moment and he did that," Mahomes said in an interview after the game (0:45 mark). "Everybody was asking, where's Travis Kelce at? I think he showed the world where he's at."

"He doesn't let the moment be bigger than what it is," Mahomes added while speaking with reporters after the win. "He just goes out there and executes at a high level just like he does in a regular-season game. He just does that with a little bit higher intensity."

Kelce added: "It just felt good to finally make a guy miss this year."

Kelce caught seven of eight targets for a game-high 117 yards and a touchdown, helping Kansas City close out the victory in the fourth quarter.

MAHOMES. KELCE. TD. 💯

LIKE CLOCKWORK.

(via @NFL)
pic.twitter.com/QxPRIPRM3O

— Bleacher Report (@BleacherReport) January 18, 2025

He accounted for most of Mahomes' passing yards, with the signal-caller finishing 16-of-25 for 177 yards and a score.

Kelce also recorded over half of Kansas City's 212 total yards on offense.

Travis Kelce has his 9th career 100-yard game in the postseason, the most in NFL history 👏

📺: #HOUvsKC on ESPN/ABC
📱: Stream on @NFLPlus and ESPN+ pic.twitter.com/OzdBqte03j

— NFL (@NFL) January 18, 2025

It was an impressive performance by the tight end, as he failed to surpass 100 receiving yards during 16 regular-season appearances in 2024.

Kelce has still proven himself as one of the top players at his position, but his individual production has dipped slightly as of late. He caught 97 passes for 823 yards and three touchdowns entering the playoffs.

The 35-year-old has failed to reach 1,000 yards in each of the past two years after crossing the threshold in every season from 2016-22. While Kelce still earned his 10th consecutive Pro Bowl nod, he wasn't as effective during his 2024 campaign compared to previous years.

He's continued to repeatedly step up in the playoffs, though.

Kelce owned an average of 86.5 receiving yards per game in the postseason heading into Saturday's contest, representing an increase over his mark of 69.4 yards per game throughout his regular-season career.

He rose to the occasion during the Chiefs' run to a Super Bowl title during their 2023 season, hauling in 32 receptions for 355 yards and three touchdowns in four playoff contests.

As Kansas City attempts to win a third consecutive championship, Kelce appears to be turning back the clock once again.

Late heroics from Patrick Mahomes and Travis Kelce helped the Kansas City Chiefs secure a 23-14 win over the Houston Texans in their divisional round playoff matchup on Saturday.

FIRST ONE DONE‼️ pic.twitter.com/FizPQKd9Rs

— Kansas City Chiefs (@Chiefs) January 19, 2025

With Kansas City holding a narrow one-point advantage early in the fourth quarter, Mahomes found Kelce in the end zone while falling down to extend the Chiefs' lead.

MAHOMES TD TO KELCE AS HE FALLS DOWN

📺: #HOUvsKC on ESPN/ABC
📱: Stream on @NFLPlus and ESPN+ pic.twitter.com/ytEUsoGyin

— NFL (@NFL) January 18, 2025

Unbelievable.

📺: #HOUvsKC on ESPN/ABC
📱: Stream on @NFLPlus and ESPN+ pic.twitter.com/rDsGcSKFAK

— NFL (@NFL) January 18, 2025

Mahomes wasn't flawless, but he avoided turnovers and repeatedly helped sustain drives. He finished 16-of-25 for 177 yards and a touchdown, rushing for 14 yards on seven attempts.

While Kelce's regular-season average of 51.4 yards per game was the lowest mark of his career over the course of a full year, he stepped up in the playoff environment once again.

The 35-year-old caught a game-high seven passes for 117 yards and a touchdown, which included a 49-yard grab in the second quarter.

Travis Kelce rumbles for 49 yards!

📺: #HOUvsKC on ESPN/ABC
📱: Stream on @NFLPlus and ESPN+ pic.twitter.com/dKYyXKnOZ5

— NFL (@NFL) January 18, 2025

He surpassed 100 receiving yards for the ninth time in his postseason career, setting a new NFL record.

Travis Kelce is now the NFL’s all-time leader in postseason games with 100+ receiving yards. pic.twitter.com/usNZLEa9pa

— Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) January 18, 2025

Fans and pundits were in awe of the Chiefs' latest playoff victory with Mahomes and Kelce, envisioning the team winning a third consecutive Super Bowl.

Mahomes and Kelce in the playoffs pic.twitter.com/Zx8sxiJ6t9

— Bleacher Report (@BleacherReport) January 18, 2025

Playoff Kelce and Mahomes are just different. pic.twitter.com/n0Qhn7TSx0

— Ian Rapoport (@RapSheet) January 18, 2025

Chiefs needed an answer, Mahomes and the DA GOAT TE. Went and got a TD. #DivisionalPlayoffs #TexansChiefs #Trying2MakeHistory

— shannon sharpe (@ShannonSharpe) January 18, 2025

The 3 peat is happening I’m afraid

— Football Analysis (@FBallAnalysisYT) January 18, 2025

No way did Patrick mahomes just complete that to Travis Kelce. They are DIFFERENT!!! 🔥🔥🔥

— Lexi (@lexiosborne) January 18, 2025

This is why the #Chiefs will 3peat. Dominated for 3 quarters, and yet they now have their largest lead.

— Stan (@StanFinger) January 18, 2025

Chiefs are gonna 3 peat aren’t they.

— Tavtheprodigy103 (@tavtheprodigy) January 19, 2025

Mahomes and Kelce and the refs are just better than everyone, there’s no other way to explain it!

— Brian Westbrook (@36westbrook) January 18, 2025

Enjoy that. The Mahomes to Kelce playoff connection is absolutely unreal and unrivaled

— how bout those CHIEFS (@hbtCHIEFS) January 18, 2025

Kansas City's defense stifled the Texans, as quarterback C.J. Stroud was sacked eight times.

Fifth Chiefs sack of the night! 😤

📺: #HOUvsKC on ESPN/ABC
📱: Stream on @NFLPlus and ESPN+ pic.twitter.com/eFbjhHNCXv

— NFL (@NFL) January 19, 2025

Houston scored just one touchdown despite racking up 336 yards of total offense. Penalties were also an issue for the Texans, getting flagged eight times for 82 yards.

With the Chiefs' win, they advanced to the AFC Championship Game for a seventh consecutive year.

Kansas City will now await the winner of Sunday's clash between the Buffalo Bills and Baltimore Ravens in the conference title game.