Lamar is the MVP 👑✨

Good morning. This is the Opening Drive, the weekly newsletter that brings you the best of the NFL so you’re always the smartest one at the water cooler.

49ers hang on in a thriller, Lamar Jackson silences the haters, the Raiders have hired Antonio Pierce, Allen and Mahomes play one for the ages, and the Cowboys will have a lame duck coach in 2024.

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Now, let’s dive in.

QUICK HITS

• Lamar Jackson scores four touchdowns, Ravens advance to host their first AFC Championship at home (ESPN)

• 49ers avoid upset, Purdy leads late drive in a sloppy comeback win (Fox Sports)

• The Lions held off the Bucs to advance to their first NFC Championship since 1991 (ABC)

• Bills miss game-tying field goal, Mahomes and the Chiefs advance to their sixth straight AFC Championship game (The Sporting News)

• The Raiders hire Antonio Pierce to be their next head coach (NFL.com)

• The Bears are set to hire Shane Waldron to be their new OC (NFL.com)

• Dan Caesar sheds light on the truth behind the numbers in the NFL’s streaming experiments (St. Louis Post-Dispatch)

• Sport’s Illustrated publisher, The Arena Group, has its publishing license revoked after missing $3.75M payment, lays off entire staff (Front Office Sports)

• Indianapolis lands the NFL combine through 2025 (ESPN)

• Bill Belichick has a second interview with the Falcons (Yahoo Sports)

• Bucs-Lions was the most expensive Divisional-Round ticket ever with an average ticket price over $1,000 (Daily Snark)

• Former Offensive Player of the Year Derrick Henry feels Titans are headed in a “different direction,” wants to play for a Super Bowl contender in ‘24 (Music City Miracles)

• NFL insider Ian Rapoport’s contract with the NFL Network expires in the coming months (NY Post)

• Bill O’Brien is leaving the NFL to return to college football as Ohio State’s new OC (Football Scoop)

• Reba McEntire will sing the national anthem at Super Bowl LVIII (CBS Sports)

• Steelers stick with HC Mike Tomlin and Kenny Pickett at QB1 entering 2024 (Yahoo Sports)

• The Saints are interested in hiring Jon Gruden but his pending lawsuit against the league may complicate things (Pro Football Talk)

SCOREBOARD

Divisional Round Scores

NFC
21 - Green Bay Packers (7)
24 - San Francisco 49ers (1)

23 - Tampa Bay Buccaneers (4)
31 - Detroit Lions (3)

AFC
10 - Houston Texans (4)
34 - Baltimore Ravens (1)

27 - Kansas City Chiefs (3)
24 - Buffalo Bills (2)

WHO’S UP? WHO’S DOWN?

Who’s up?
Danielle Bonham (who?). Eagles center Jason Kelce, who might not retire after all, made a visit to his local McDonald’s in Broomall, Pennsylvania — 30 minutes west of Philadelphia — to order his usual “two sausage egg and cheese and a large coffee.” Kelce is a regular at the location and Bonham has served him on multiple occasions. The pair have already taken several photos together. This time, he decided to do something special for Bonham, delivering a signed Kelly Green Eagles jersey. "I’m forever grateful and very fortunate to have crossed paths with him as many times as I did, and I just wish him nothing but the best," Bonham said.

Who’s down?
The Dallas Cowboys. What’s the old saying, “The more things change, the more they stay the same?” That seems to be what’s happening in Dallas (again), as owner Jerry Jones is sticking with head coach Mike McCarthy who’s entering the final year of his contract in 2024. Jones has a habit of sticking with mediocre coaches too long (see Jason Garrett) and it seems he’s doing the same with McCarthy. In fairness, McCarthy has led the Cowboys to three 12-win seasons in a row, but he’s 11-11 for his career in the postseason and 1-3 in Dallas. As someone once said, “you are what your record says you are,” and it certainly feels like this is who McCarthy is, a coach who can deliver 10+ wins in the regular season but gives you, at best, a 50/50 chance in the playoffs. With McCarthy at the helm, the Cowboys seemed destined for disappointment again in the 2024 postseason.

HEAD COACH UPDATE

Six of the eight teams (so far) looking for a new head coach are still searching. 👀 Keep track of head coaching and coordinator moves here.

Atlanta Falcons ❌
Carolina Panthers ❌
Las Vegas Raiders ✅ 
Los Angeles Chargers ❌
New England Patriots ✅
Seattle Seahawks ❌
Tennessee Titans ❌
Washington Commanders ❌

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NUMBERS YOU SHOULD KNOW

It’s no secret that Lamar Jackson has struggled in the postseason. Entering Saturday’s matchup with the Texans, Jackson was 1-3 in the playoffs, completing 55.9% of his passes with three touchdowns and five interceptions. His average QBR in those four starts was 35.5 (HINT: that’s not great). Jackson silenced the doubters this weekend, completing 16 of 22 passes (72.7%) with two touchdowns. He also rushed 11 times for 100 yards and scored two touchdowns on the ground. His QBR? A stellar 93.9 (HINT: that’s great).

Did you know? (via Next Gen Stats)

🏈 Since 2018 (including playoffs), Lamar Jackson has thrown 14 TDs on designed rollouts without play action, fewer than only Patrick Mahomes (23). No other quarterback has more than six.
🏈 Lamar Jackson faced a career-high 75.0% blitz rate on Saturday, completing 13 of 18 passes against the blitz for 120 yards and two TDs. Jackson got rid of the ball more than a second quicker vs the blitz in the 2nd half (2.25 seconds) compared to the first half (3.51).
🏈 Lamar Jackson is the first player in NFL HISTORY (regular season or postseason) to have in one game:

• 2 passing touchdowns

• 2 rushing touchdowns

• 100 rushing yards

• 100 passer rating

OPENING DRIVE BEST BET 💸🎰🎲
Opening Drive record ATS: 0-1 📉 

Ravens -3 (-120)

The Ravens are 12-6 ATS this season, and 6-4 at home including the playoffs. In their last seven home games they’ve scored at least 30 points in the games Jackson has started, and their last four wins have all been by double digits over the Jaguars, 49ers, Dolphins, and Texans.

Odds via Draft Kings as of Jan. 22, 7 AM EST. Please check your local state rules and regulations. 21+, gamble responsibly.

BEST LOOK 🔥 

The Bills ran it back for the Divisional Round, wearing the same uni combo they did in the Wild Card round against the Steelers — and I don’t blame them, the ice white helmet and pants with blue jersey combo is their best. 🤤 

Honorable mention goes to those gorgeous red end zones at Levi’s Stadium.

MEME OF THE WEEK