Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images It is safe to say that most Dallas Cowboys fans will be rooting for the Kansas City Chiefs in Super Bowl LIX. The Philadelphia Eagles won the NFC Championship Game on Sunday afternoon and did so against the Washington Commanders. Watching it was not very fun in any sort of way for Dallas Cowboys fans as the winning Eagles punched their ticket to Super Bowl LIX. If you are anything like me you knew that whoever won that game… you were going to be rooting for the AFC-winning team whoever it was between the Kansas City Chiefs and Buffalo Bills. Philadelphia and Washington are bitter rivals of the Cowboys, so imagining either one of them lifting the Lombardi Trophy is among the worst possible outcomes. After a thriller of a game, the Chiefs are headed to their fourth Super Bowl in six years and third straight. The artists formerly known as the Dallas Texans are back in the big game. Super Bowl LIX will mark the 7th time that Cowboys fans have had to watch a division rival play for it all since Dallas last did so themselves: Super Bowl XXXV: Baltimore Ravens defeat New York Giants Super Bowl XXXXIX: New England Patriots defeat Philadelphia Eagles Super Bowl XLII: New York Giants defeat New England Patriots Super Bowl XLVI: New York Giants defeat New England Patriots Super Bowl LII: Philadelphia Eagles defeat New England Patriots Super Bowl LVII: Kansas City Chiefs defeat Philadelphia Eagles If you were rooting against the NFC East teams in each of these games, as you should have been, then you are an even .500 to date. It is time for the proverbial rubber match, so to speak. I’ve long held the belief that there is no wrong way to be a fan and therefore what you choose to do and how you choose to root is ultimately up to you. Maybe you have a reason for rooting for an NFC East team in the past or the Eagles in the present. Everyone’s fan journey is different. But as far as my two cents are concerned there is absolutely no world in which I want to see any NFC East team win it all. Funny enough, odds are you have rooted for the Chiefs in each of their three Super Bowl victories to date as they have faced the San Francisco 49ers twice and obviously the Eagles once. If they are victorious again, for what would be a historic three straight titles, they will have won all four of their championships against San Francisco and Philadelphia. Go Chiefs.

Mark Konezny-Imagn Images Enjoy the AFC Championship playoff game The AFC Championship game features the Bills and the Chiefs. This is an open thread for game chat.

Photo by Nick Cammett/Diamond Images via Getty Images 2025 is likely going to be a big year for Caelen Carson. The Dallas Cowboys lost All-Pro cornerback Trevon Diggs after two games in 2023, but they got an insane season from DaRon Bland as he led the NFL with nine interceptions and set a record with five touchdown returns, and also veteran Stephon Gilmore had a solid year. However, with Gilmore not returning, the Cowboys needed to prioritize getting a cornerback, and they took Caelen Carson in the fifth round out of Wake Forest. He came into the league with a reputation for being a physical corner that was sticky in coverage and would fight wide receivers through routes. After showing flashes of that during the offseason program, Carson would be put into the starting lineup due to Bland being on injured reserve with a foot issue. Against the Cleveland Browns in the season opener, Carson did give up a touchdown to Jerry Juedy. However, he only allowed a completion percentage of 55% on nine targets, and he also added two pass breakups and four tackles (all solo). Over the next two games, some of the flaws in his game began to show as he would get beat off the line while also getting confused by double moves. That’s expected at some point with a rookie, though. Unfortunately, Carson would suffer a shoulder injury in Week 3 versus the Baltimore Ravens and would sit out the next five games. Carson made his return in Week 9 against the Atlanta Falcons. However, it would be a continuation of his struggles over the next few games. In fact, after Week 10, Carson had given up 16 receptions on 19 targets over a four-game span, meaning he was turning into a liability. Then disaster struck as Carson’s lingering shoulder injury caused him to have season-ending surgery. He would miss the final seven games. As Carson looks to his second year, the first thing is to stay healthy. Missing 11 games as a rookie isn’t ideal at all. Then, when adding in the fact that he struggled over his last several outings, there’s certainly aspects of his game that he has to get corrected. The Cowboys need for him to find the solutions rather quickly for a few reasons. Diggs missed the final month of the 2024 campaign as he suffered an injury to his left knee, which required chondral tissue graft surgery. His recovery time could go into training camp or beyond, which would handicap the Cowboys at cornerback. Bland is going into a contract year, and he just came off an injury. So, the Cowboys may choose to let him play out his deal in 2025. Then, there’s Jourdan Lewis, who is set to be a free agent, which makes his future in Dallas uncertain. There’s also the factor that Dallas doesn’t do a lot in free agency, so the likelihood of adding talent in that way is minimal to nonexistent. The Cowboys should draft another cornerback, but there’s no telling how long that player will take to develop if that’s the case. This means Carson will likely be relied upon a lot early and often next season, which will require his leaning process to speed up.

Photo by Wesley Hitt/Getty Images What players do you expect to break out in 2025? Next season is full of unknowns as we sit early in the offseason for the Dallas Cowboys. Who’s the next head coach? What players are coming back? Who will the team draft or bring in during free agency? And those questions are just the tip of the iceberg. Here are five breakout candidates poised for a big year next season with the way the roster currently looks. If anything this will help stir some optimism into fans at this uncertain time. Sam Williams The Ole Miss defensive standout was ready to have a big season last year, but unfortunately an early injury ended all hopes for Williams. The good news is that he is extremely positive and upbeat about his recovery, and ready to take the bull by horns. With inspiration coming from his family, Williams is ready to get back to it and show everyone that his fast get-off and hot motor is far from cooling. Williams could take a lead defensive end role, so expect big things. Photo by Michael Owens/Getty Images Marshawn Kneeland Kneeland had a pretty conservative rookie year, but with so many potential departures on the defensive line, Kneeland is set to take a heavy workload this year. DeMarcus Lawrence, Chauncey Golston and Carl Lawson are all set to hit free agency. This means Kneeland is potentially in line to grab a defensive end position. Along with Sam Williams and Micah Parsons, he should at minimum be in a rotation at the defensive end spots that, hopefully leading to a rise in production. Jalen Tolbert As of right now there’s no wide receiver in the WR2 spot with Brandin Cooks hitting the free market, so that means Tolbert is currently ready to see a breakout year. The team has no shortage of WR3’s on the roster but Tolbert is the leader of that pack. We saw a great run of production toward the end of the season from Tolbert as he scored three touchdowns in the last four games, and in the final game against Washington he was two yards short of breaking the 100-yard mark in a single game. The only thing hindering Tolbert from a possible breakout next year is the likelihood of the team drafting a receiver early in the draft. But if we see the team pass on receiver in the first two rounds of the draft, that means the coaches feel confident Tolbert can be the breakout WR2 we’re talking about right now. Photo by Sam Hodde/Getty Images Marist Liufau The rookie linebacker had a great latter-half of the season which should leave Cowboys fans optimistic about the future of the linebacker position in Dallas. DeMarvion Overshown was an outstanding talent and was a real force for most of the year. While Overhsown was a missile attacking quarterbacks, Liufau was quietly developing and waiting patently for his chance. His chance came, and with each passing week Liufau started playing more confidently and more consistently, becoming a huge defensive playmaker. His speed and lateral mobility is a great foundation for his sophomore season where he’s set to take on a bigger snap share. Josh Butler The Cowboys were set as huge underdogs against Washington in Week 12. What Vegas and the oddsmakers weren’t counting on was Josh Butler coming in to start opposite DaRon Bland and dominate the game. There are massive questions on what the cornerback position will look like next year, one of those questions is how soon can Josh Butler return from his ACL injury he suffered in late November. The good news is Butler is under contract this season, so as soon as he can get back into training and back on the field we should expect a return to the mini breakout he had in the back half of the 2024 season. Photo by Ryan Kang/Getty Images

Photo by Amy Lemus/NurPhoto via Getty Images There are plenty of reasons to be excited about a potential addition of Matt Eberflus. It wasn’t that long ago when the Dallas Cowboys were lacking coaches. Now, just a few days later, they have named Brian Schottenheimer as their new head coach and Matt Eberflus is gaining a lot of buzz as their potential new defensive coordinator. On Saturday, our own David Howman discussed why the Schottenheimer decision makes sense for the Cowboys. Today, we’ll look at what they would be getting in reuniting with an old friend. Getting the timing right Fans might remember Eberflus from his first stint with the Cowboys starting back in 2011 when he came over from Cleveland with then-defensive coordinator Rob Ryan. While Ryan’s time in Dallas was short-lived, Eberflus was able to hang around. When the team moved on from Ryan and replaced him with Monte Kiffin and then Rod Marinelli, Eberflus became the team’s linebacker coach. Eberflus spent seven years in Dallas and by 2018, his ability as a coach was being recognized. The Cowboys wanted to promote him to defensive coordinator, but they still had Marinelli so they tried to get sly and just re-title Marinelli as the assistant head coach, opening up the DC position for Eberflus. Not wanting to create tension, Eberflus left Dallas and joined the Indianapolis Colts as their new defensive coordinator. Eberflus’ success continued in Indy and he was hired by the Chicago Bears to be their new head coach in 2022. The gig in Chicago didn’t work out after three losing seasons (almost three, he was fired after Week 13), so now he’s going back to what he does best, and this time around, the Cowboys do have an opening at defensive coordinator. Combined with the offensive-minded Schottenheimer, Eberflus feels like the perfect fit. The linebacker whisperer The former linebackers coach has a strong track record for getting the most out of his linebackers wherever he goes. Starting in Dallas, he was gifted the talented Sean Lee who played at an All-Pro level whenever he was healthy. But Eberflus did a lot with other guys too. Bruce Carter put together strong performances in Dallas, including a five-interception season in 2014. Anthony Hitchens also played beyond expectations with four solid years. Both he and Carter left for a nice payday after their rookie contracts expired with the Cowboys. Eberflus also helped rejuvenate Rolando McClain’s career during his short return to the league. He did the same thing in Indianapolis. Shaq Leonard had four All-Pro seasons with the Colts and then quickly faded. It just so happens that those four years were the same four years Eberflus was with the team. Joining the Cowboys staff should help get the most out of the linebackers, just as former defensive line coach Dan Quinn helped their pass rush and former defensive backs coach Mike Zimmer worked miracles with their injury-riddled secondary. Eberflus will inherit the rising talent of Marist Liufau and hopefully the eventual return of DeMarvion Overshown. Take it away When Quinn was here, the Cowboys’ defense was one of the best units in the league at taking the ball away. They finished No. 1 in the league in 2021 and 2022 with a combined total of 67 forced turnovers. It was a huge reason the Cowboys had one of the stronger defenses in the league. The Cowboys have slipped a little these past two years as they’ve ranked 12th in takeaways in each of the last two years, but the Eberflus influence should help sharpen some of that thievery. As a defensive coordinator, his Colts’ units finished in the top 10 in takeaways all four seasons with the team. They finished inside the top 10 in interceptions all four years and inside the top 10 in fumble recoveries in three of his four seasons with the team. When it comes to taking the ball away, his squads are pretty good at it. Stingy with the points Forcing turnovers is great, but keeping opposing offensives out of the end zone is what really matters. During his time with the Colts, his defenses finished in the top 10 in points allowed three times. This was a breath of fresh air for a Colts defense that had finished outside the top 20 in points allowed in each of the previous three seasons, including the third-worst the season right before Eberflus showed up. Eberflus has done a good job shutting teams down. The Cowboys know this firsthand. Only once has Dallas been shut out in a game over the last 20 years and it just so happens to be the time they faced Eberflus’ Colts where they lost 23-0 back in 2019.

Peter Casey-Imagn Images Which NFC East team do you hope wins on Sunday? Eagles injury update: Key Eagles return to practice ahead of NFC Championship Game – Dave Zangaro, NBC Sports Philadelphia Philly is getting healthy just in time for the conference championship game. Starting center Cam Jurgens (back) and tight end Dallas Goedert (ankle) returned to practice on Friday ahead of the Eagles’ NFC Championship Game against the Commanders on Sunday. Both Jurgens and Goedert were listed as non-participants to start the week and neither practiced on Thursday. So it was a good sign for the Eagles to have them both back on the field Friday, participating in the final practice of the week. In fact, every player on the Eagles’ 53-man roster was on the field as the Eagles practiced in their indoor bubble at the NovaCare Complex. Practice was initially scheduled to be held at the Linc but the Eagles moved it inside instead. During these playoffs, Goedert has been the Eagles’ leading receiver with 8 catches for 103 yards. He also gives them a lot as a blocker in their run game. The Eagles’ backup tight ends on the roster are Grant Calcaterra and E.J. Jenkins. Jalen Hurts (knee) was back on the field Friday after being upgraded to a full participant on Thursday. He’s going to play in the NFC Championship Game, it’s just a matter of how mobile he will be. “I think he’s had a good week of practice,” head coach Nick Sirianni said, “and I think he’s done some really good things all week. We’ll see.” The other notable injury coming out of Sunday’s game was to rookie cornerback Quinyon Mitchell (shoulder). But the rookie was also upgraded to a full participant on Thursday and has already said he’s playing. What is the Biggest Concern For the Washington Commanders Against the Eagles? – Caleb Skinner, Sports Illustrated A devastating injury along their offensive line could be troublesome for Jayden Daniels. It is almost time for the Washington Commanders to play in a game they haven’t been to in over 30 years when they face off against the Philadelphia Eagles for a third time this season in the NFC Championship game. The Commanders aren’t favored to come out victorious but they have shown before that they shouldn’t be doubted. As mentioned, this team goes as the offense goes, and that will be much needed on Sunday when they head to Philly. Jayden Daniels and his cast have been phenomenal this season and will again look to put points on the scoreboard. Unfortunately for Daniels and the offense, they will have to continue battling without their star offensive lineman Sam Cosmi who suffered a torn ACL ending his season. With the game just on the horizon, CBS Sports’ Cody Benjamin wondered if Jayden Daniels’ play could help offset the absence left by Cosmi. “Lost in the magic of their divisional-round upset of the Detroit Lions was a season-ending injury to Cosmi, who’d quietly graded out as one of this year’s top 25 interior pass blockers, per PFF,” Benjamin wrote. “Daniels has an effortless ability to extend plays or move the chains with his legs, but now up against a stingy Eagles front that includes the ferocious Jalen Carter, he might need to be especially quick with his decisions.” Eli Manning willing to help Giants evaluate quarterbacks – Dan Benton, USA Today The Super Bowl-winning quarterback wants to help any way he can. The New York Giants enter the offseason with a singular goal in mind: Find the next franchise quarterback. That player could be signed as a free agent, acquired via trade, or selected in the 2025 NFL draft. There could even be multiple quarterbacks added in an effort to develop one while another serves as a bridge. However the Giants plan to approach it, retired legend Eli Manning is offering his help in evaluating the many options. “I like watching film,” Manning said, via the New York Post. “If that’s something I’m wanted for, needed for, be happy to look at film and get involved in that part of it.” Although Manning still works for the Giants in a business operations and fan engagement role, he is not currently involved in any sort of scouting. However, he has occasionally been asked for his input over the years. “Yes, I mean a little bit, just over the years, just guys I’ve been around, whether it’s Jaxson Dart of Ole Miss or quarterbacks over the years who have been to the Manning Passing Academy,” he said. “Just what kind of person they are, kind of more off-the-field stuff than maybe on the field.” Because of the Manning Passing Academy, Eli does have significant firsthand knowledge of most quarterback prospects. At some point or another, many cycle through the academy at least once with several making a multitude of appearances. That also provides Manning the opportunity to converse with the young quarterbacks who are headed to the NFL. And should the Giants hone in on anyone specific, Manning could get into their ear and help them understand the pressure that comes along with playing in New York. “It’s not an easy situation,” he said. “A lot of pressure, a lot of expectations and being in New York, really being around the NFL, they expect immediate results, which is not easy to do, in any market playing the quarterback position. Who do you got in the NFC Conference Championship game, the Eagles or the Commanders? Hit the comments and let us know your take.