NFL playoffs LIVE: More heartbreak for Josh Allen as Kansas City joins Philadelphia in Super Bowl

Jackson keen to put ‘antsy’ playoff past behind him

Lamar Jackson is clear where he wants his fifth playoff trip to end.

Although the Ravens' quarterback is aware of his negative postseason record and knows exactly why he has struggled in recent years.

Despite a great career, which has him as a frontrunner for a third regular season MVP award in six season. Jackson has struggled in the playoffs.

The 28-year-old has won just two of his six games in the postseason and has only made it past the divisional round just once and has never won two playoff games in the same season.

The Ravens lost at home to the Chiefs in the AFC Championship Game in 2023 and Jackson has admitted that his play has suffered as a result of getting too hyped up before the playoffs.

“I’m just too excited, that’s all,” Jackson told reporters on Tuesday.

“Too antsy, that’s all. I’m seeing things before it happens like, Oh, I have to calm myself down.

"But just being more experienced, I’ve found a way to balance it out.”

'Calm myself down' - Lamar Jackson keen to put 'antsy' playoff past behind him

Pierce Pays Price

The Las Vegas Raiders have taken the decision to remove Antonio Pierce as their head coach.

Pierce was informed on Tuesday of his firing following his first full season, which finished on Sunday with a loss at home against the Los Angeles Chargers.

The former linebackers coach initially took over as interim head coach in 2023 following Josh McDaniels’ departure, and was given the job full-time in 2024.

But the Raiders have gone 4-13 in a trying season, with Pierce now paying the price.

Owner Mark Davis is keeping faith in general manager Tom Telesco.

Tom Brady, who joined Las Vegas' ownership in October as a limited partner, is expected to be involved in choosing the Raiders' next head coach.

A Raiders statement read: 

“The Las Vegas Raiders have relieved Antonio Pierce of his duties as head coach.

“We appreciate Antonio's leadership, first as an interim head coach and this past season as the head coach. 

“Antonio grew up a Raiders fan and his Silver and Black roots run deep. We are grateful for his ability to reignite what it means to be a Raider throughout the entire organization. 

“We wish nothing but the best for Antonio and his family in the future.”

Sonic reunited with Knuckles

Detroit Lions coach Dan Campbell is expecting running back David Montgomery back for the divisional round.

It was feared the key figure would miss the playoffs after suffering an MCL injury in Week 15.

Mongomery has formed a fearsome tandem with Jahmyr Gibbs in the Lions backfield this season.

Speedy Gibbs has been nicknamed Sonic and bruiser Montgomery Knuckles in a nod to the video game pals.

Campbell shared his positive update this afternoon in a boost for the Lions' Super Bowl chances.

Gibbs scored a hat-trick of touchdowns in the Week 18 rout of the Minnesota Vikings.

Star pass-rusher Aidan Hutchinson is unlikely to take the field if the Lions make the Super Bowl.

"He has a season-ending injury, but if anybody can come back from it it'd be Aidan," said Campbell.

Cowboys play hardball over McCarthy

Jerry Jones is yet to confirm if he will extend head coach Mike McCarthy's contract.

The Dallas Cowboys coach is coming to the end of his deal after a disappointing season.

Billionaire owner Jones is a fan of McCarthy and could hand him a chance to make amends in 2025.

The Chicago Bears have requested permission to speak to McCarthy ahead of the Cowboys' exclusive negotiating window ending on January 14.

But a day later, Jones has not given a response, per NFL Network's Adam Schefter.

Coach Prime weighs in on Titans dismissal

The Tennessee Titans are dominating the headlines after the surprise decision to sack general manager Ran Carthon.

The exec had four years left on the contract he signed over the offseason but paid the price for a 3-14 season that led to the No.1 pick.

It would appear that the choice is between quarterbacks Shedeur Sanders and Cam Ward with the first selection of April's NFL Draft.

And getting rid of Carthon could have had a massive impact on the decision.

Shedeur's dad, Deion, reacted almost instantly to the news.

"Wow," he wrote, followed by an eyes emoji in a post that is open to interpretation.

Whether Deion believes it was the right call is potentially massive after his comments in November about his son's potential destination.

The Hall of Famer said on FS1 he would step in if he thought the wrong team were drafting Shedeur or teammate Travis Hunter after he coached the potential top-three picks with the Colorado Buffaloes.

'Wow' - Deion shocked by Titans call as he looks to stop Shedeur joining wrong team

McDaniel reveals result of Hill summit

Miami Dolphins head coach Mike McDaniel has spoken out about Tyreek Hill's future with the franchise.

The superstar wide receiver told reporters he wanted out after leaving the loss to the New York Jets during the fourth quarter.

McDaniel was asked if his relationship with Hill is fixable.

“It’s not acceptable to leave a game and won’t be tolerated in the future," he said.

"He embraced accountability … I don’t think there’s anything to fix.”

No quarter given in wild-card round

Amid all the sackings and NFL Draft talk, it is easy to forget we have playoff football this weekend.

There are plenty of intriguing quarterback matchups that should provide some must-watch TV.

The GMFB cast is hyped for the spectacle.

Angry Runs finale

One of the best segments on NFL Network is over for the season.

If there is one thing that gets Kyle Brandt more hyped than a pop culture reference, it is an angry run.

A rare tight end victory closes out the 2024 season.

Forgotten QB could shake up NFL playoffs

The Steelers need a shake up on Saturday.

Pittsburgh gave away the AFC North, while mercurial wide receiver George Pickens was last seen shouting at fans in the stands.

Throw in a wild-card contest against the division rival Baltimore Ravens, and Mike Tomlin's team must use every weapon within its possession to try and advance in the playoffs.

There's no doubt that the No. 6-seed Steelers (10-7) will lean on veteran quarterback Russell Wilson as they attempt to grind out a road victory against the No. 3 Baltimore Ravens (12-5), who are led by MVP candidate Lamar Jackson.

But a third QB could play a key role in a potential Pittsburgh upset.

Wilson wasn't the Week 1 starter for the Steelers.

And Pittsburgh began this season with a 4-2 record while it depended upon a former first-round draft pick who was coldly cast aside by the Chicago Bears as soon as Caleb Williams appeared on the NFL scene.

Justin Fields completed 65.8 percent of his passes this year for 1,106 yards, five touchdowns, a 110.6 rating and only one interception.

The dual-threat QB also ran for 289 yards and five TDs while averaging 4.7 yards per carry.

Tomlin, who rarely gives away company secrets, acknowledged that Fields is on his mind as Saturday's wild-card game against the Ravens approaches.

Forgotten first-round QB could shake up NFL playoffs and ruin Lamar Jackson's MVP season

Exclusive look at how the Lions became kings of the NFC jungle

The Los Angeles Rams gave up on Jared Goff.

The Detroit Lions believed, and the NFL's best story in 2024 has become football heaven for a resurrected Goff.

The actual story -- filled with draft picks, injuries, playoff heartbreak, trade deadlines and salary-cap problems -- is much more complicated than that.

But by swapping Goff and multiple future amateur selections for Matthew Stafford, the splashy Rams won Super Bowl LVI in Los Angeles with Detroit's former franchise quarterback.

talkSPORT'S Brian T. Smith sat down with Lions beat writer Eric Woodyard to discuss the fairytale story.

How the Detroit Lions changed their image to become NFL heaven for Jared Goff

Titans tell Levis to prepare for camp battle

Tennessee Titans head coach Brian Callahan is preparing for 2025 with questions over his future dangling over his head.

If he does keep his post, quarterback will be his first, second, and third priority over the offseason.

The No. 1 pick is heading to the Titans after a dismal record in 2024 and all signs point at Shedeur Sanders or Cam Ward hearing their name called.

Incumbent Will Levis has been told to expect competition in camp.

“I was very straightforward with him that it’s very likely that there’ll be somebody else in here competition-wise at the very minimum,” Callahan said. “So that’s a position that we’ll be looking at.”

Evans on the mic

Mike Evans made history on Sunday after notching an 11th-straight 1,000-yard season.

Only Hall of Famer Jerry Rice has accomplished the amazing feat.

Evans needed a bit of help from his team, who ran a play instead of kneeling to close out victory to get him over the line.

The wild celebrations afterwards showed how much the wideout means to the entire Tampa Bay Buccaneers franchise.

Orlovsky's cutting Sharpe dig

Dan Orlovsky is seemingly well clued up about the Sharpe family, writes Joshua Rodgers.

The ESPN First Take regulars shared a viral moment on Monday's show after the former quarterback told Shannon Sharpe a statistic involving his own older brother, Sterling.

The segment started with a discussion on the current state of the Cincinnati Bengals.

Orlovsky and Sharpe were discussing how incredible it was that one of the league's most potent offenses, involving Joe Burrow, Ja'Marr Chase, and Tee Higgins, won't be featuring in the postseason this year.

The Bengals ranked sixth in the league in scoring while wide receiver Chase won the Triple Crown, leading the NFL in catches, yards, and receiving touchdowns.

Shannon Sharpe was shocked about the team's playoff omission and had a question for DO.

“Can you name the last time a Triple Crown winner who has been left out [of the playoffs]?” he asked. “I can’t either.”

Orlovsky knew, pointing to the camera with a big grin across his face while saying, 'Your brother'.

Dan Orlovsky leaves Shannon Sharpe stunned with obscure stat about his own brother

Brock puts 49ers on the clock

Brock Purdy is keen to get his new contract sorted sooner rather than later.

The quarterback is coming to the end of his rookie deal after shedding a Mr. Irrelevant tag as the last pick of the Draft to become one of the NFL's most efficient passers.

He is due a massive pay rise and wants to get the talking out of the way so he can focus on football.

“With the timing of getting something done, obviously I want to get it done, if it’s an opportunity to get it done quick, that would be great," Purdy said.

"For me at the end of the day, I want to win. I want to win for this organization, and everybody here. I’m not the kind of guy that wants any drama associated with anything.”

Rookie QBs shed the 'deer in headlights' image

Once upon a time, rookie quarterbacks were sat for a year before being thrown into the NFL.

Tom Brady and Patrick Mahomes both honed their craft on the sidelines for at least a season.

But in today's fast-paced world, most teams want to know what they have quickly.

Caleb Williams, Jayden Daniels and Bo Nix were all thrown in straight away in 2024.

Daniels and Nix thrived as they both set a new bar for the Class of 2025.

Sauce Gardner wants to be 'part of Jets change'

New York Jets star Sauce Gardner has expressed a strong desire to stay with the team.

The talented cornerback still has one year left on his rookie contract, with the Jets holding a fifth-year option for 2026.

He told reporters he's leaving his agent to handle any specifics over his next contract but that he wants to stick around.

"I want to be part of this for a long time," Gardner said. "I want to be part of the change in this organization. If I was to go somewhere else and then there was a change, I'd be a hater, for real."

Gardner was named Defensive Rookie of the Year in 2022 and earned first-team All-Pro honors in his first two seasons in the league.

The 24-year-old had one interception, nine pass breakups and 49 tackles in 15 starts this season, and has established himself as one of the league's elite corners.

Derek Carr won't take pay cut for 2025

New Orleans Saints quarterback Derek Carr says he "wouldn't take a pay cut" heading into next season.

The Saints have the worst cap space situation in the league at negative-$78.5 million, nearly $55.1 million worse than the second-worst, the Cleveland Browns.

Carr, who was signed two years ago, is due $40 million next year and will count $51.45 million against the salary cap in 2025 if the Saints don't restructure his contract.

At present, the Saints will have to significantly restructure or release several contracts to become cap compliant heading into the offseason.

Despite the potentially dire situation, Carr insists he's held 'super positive' talks on his future with the franchise.

"I got to take care of myself and then the rest after that is really out of my hands," Carr said Monday. "I've had great conversations with everyone in this building."

Zeke is on the move....

The Los Angeles Charges have bolstered their offense ahead of the playoffs.

According to multiple sources, the Chargers are signing former Dallas Cowboys running Ezekiel Elliott to their practice squad.

The Cowboys waived Elliott before the final week of the regular season, per his request.

The 29-year-old had 74 carries for 226 yards and three touchdowns in 14 games with the Cowboys this season.

The three-time Pro Bowler will now add a much-needed veteran presence to the Bolts ahead of their wild-card round matchup with the Houston Texans.