Minnesota Vikings running back Aaron Jones rushed 13 times for 48 yards and hauled in 3-of-6 targets for an additional 12 yards in their 27-9 defeat at the hands of the Los Angeles Rams. The 30-year-old again dominated backfield touches for the Vikings but didn't have much to show for it. Jones was actually decent when he toted the rock but was mainly phased out of the team's plan of attack after they quickly trailed 17-3 in the first half. That, and quarterback Sam Darnold's ineffectiveness, would be the cause of another average day for the veteran rusher, who failed to eclipse 50 yards on the ground in his last three outings. Unfortunately, Minnesota's season will end despite working to a 14-3 record in the regular season. Jones will now hit the market, headlining the list of free-agent RBs in 2025.

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Los Angeles Rams running back Kyren Williams rushed for 76 yards on 16 carries during Monday's Wild Card win over the Minnesota Vikings. He also caught all three of his targets for an additional 16 yards and one touchdown through the air. It was another productive showing for the Rams' workhorse running back as he found the end zone for the third consecutive game. He finished 2024 as the overall RB7 in PPR leagues, achieving that mark for the second season in a row. Williams should continue to be treated as a premier option in fantasy and gambling circles, especially after Blake Corum (forearm) was placed on injured reserve last week.

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The Los Angeles Rams D/ST unit allowed nine points, registered nine sacks, tallied two turnovers, and scored one touchdown during Monday's Wild Card win over the Minnesota Vikings. Undeniably, the Rams' defense was able to overpower the Vikings' offense, revealing numerous flaws within quarterback Sam Darnold's game while holding running back Aaron Jones to just 3.7 yards per carry on the ground. Jared Verse had a fumble recovery touchdown, Kobie Turner had two sacks, and Cobie Durant intercepted a pass, making up just a few of the many standout performances within the box score. Monday's dominant showing has been uncharacteristic for the Rams of late, and it may be hard to replicate their dominance when they face the Philadelphia Eagles in the Divisional Round.

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Los Angeles Rams wide receiver Cooper Kupp converted his lone target into a 29-yard reception during Monday night's Wild Card win over the Minnesota Vikings. While Kupp is presumably content knowing that his team advanced to the next round of the playoffs, his fantasy managers might not be as joyful. The 31-year-old is in the midst of a brutal stretch, catching just five passes for 82 yards over his last four games combined. He's simply not Matthew Stafford's preferred option in the passing game anymore. That honor belongs to Puka Nacua, who caught five of nine targets against the Vikings. Moving forward, Nacua is the top fantasy option in Los Angeles while Kupp works his way onto many managers' benches.

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Los Angeles Rams tight end Davis Allen caught one of his two targets for 13 yards and a touchdown during Monday night's Wild Card win over the Minnesota Vikings. Allen had minimal playoff experience prior to this week, playing in just one playoff contest last year. He'll get an opportunity to at least double that total this season as the Rams' win gets them into the Divisional Round next week against the Philadelphia Eagles. Allen typically fills a depth role in Los Angeles, but his touchdown and the injury to Tyler Higbee (chest) could open the door for the 23-year-old Clemson product to earn more snaps and catch more passes.

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Los Angeles Rams quarterback Matthew Stafford completed 19 of his 27 pass attempts for 209 yards, two touchdowns, and zero interceptions during Monday's Wild Card win over the Minnesota Vikings. The veteran signal-caller also took two sacks in the contest. All in all, this was a highly productive showing from Stafford and the Rams' offense. The 36-year-old had averaged 153 yards and just 0.3 passing touchdowns over his last three games, so the Rams' playoff win allowed him to get back on track with his highest yardage and touchdown totals since Week 14. His performance suggests that he's still capable of outperforming talented defenses when necessary, including pivotal playoff matchups. Fresh off dismantling the Minnesota Vikings, Stafford will turn around and prepare for another talented NFC team, the Philadelphia Eagles, in the Divisional Round.

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Minnesota Vikings quarterback Sam Darnold completed 25-of-40 passes for 245 yards and one touchdown in Monday night's 27-9 loss to the Los Angeles Rams. He'd add 19 yards on four carries, tossed one interception, was sacked nine times, and coughed up a fumble that was returned for a TD. Ouch. There's no getting around it: Darnold played poorly for a second consecutive contest, seemingly crumbling again under the pressure of the bright lights. This isn't to take anything away from an exceptional LA Rams defensive game plan, but the 27-year-old held onto the ball for too long, too often. Even the good throws were either well-defended or dropped by the intended target. In two weeks' time, Minnesota went from potentially clinching a first-round bye to being the victim of a first-round exit. The USC product was stellar for a large portion of 2024. Unfortunately, his last two performances will likely mar most of his improvements. He'll head into 2025 on the search for a new job.

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Los Angeles Rams wide receiver Puka Nacua caught five of his nine targets for 44 yards during Monday's Wild Card win over the Minnesota Vikings. He also added a seven-yard rush. Nacua did lead the team in targets and tied for the most receptions, but his production was somewhat modest relative to some of his recent games. For context, he hadn't finished with fewer than 50 receiving yards in a single game since Week 9. Amidst his slightly less explosive showing on Monday night, Nacua still managed to show that he is Matthew Stafford's preferred option in the passing game. Not only did he fetch a team-most nine targets, but he was also far more involved than Cooper Kupp, who once again struggled to the tune of one catch for 29 yards through the air. Moving forward, Nacua is the top fantasy option in Los Angeles and an intriguing play ahead of next week's battle with the Philadelphia Eagles.

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Per Charean Williams of Pro Football Talk, former Dallas Cowboys head coach Mike McCarthy is scheduled to interview with the Chicago Bears on Wednesday for their head-coaching position. Chicago has cast a wide net in search of their next HC, already having interviewed nine candidates, with another nine interviews requested. McCarthy can now be added to the list after Dallas initially denied Chicago's request to interview him just last week. It's a strange situation, but nonetheless, Chicago is doing its due diligence regarding the vacancy. McCarthy worked to a 49-35 record in his time with the Cowboys, including three consecutive 12-win seasons from 2021-2023. However, he won only one playoff game in that span.

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Per Adam Grosbard of the team, Los Angeles Rams tight end Tyler Higbee (chest) has officially been ruled out for Monday's Wild Card matchup with the Minnesota Vikings. Higbee exited the game early in the second quarter and was initially ruled doubtful about returning. However, he was not well enough to do so after halftime. The former fourth-round pick looked to be on his way to a massive day -- nabbing all five of his targets for 58 yards through the first quarter and change. At the time he was forced from the contest, the 32-year-old led the team in receptions and yards while tying Puka Nacua for the team lead in targets.

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According to Jordan Schultz of FOX Sports, University of Colorado head coach Deion Sanders has been in talks with Dallas Cowboys owner Jerry Jones regarding their open position at head coach. It's intriguing news, considering that less than two months ago, Sanders was on record stating that he would stay put at his current gig. "I'm happy where I am, man," Sanders said. "I've got a kickstand down. You know what a kickstand is? ... That means I'm resting. I'm good, I'm happy...I love it here, truly do." However, the recent firing of Mike McCarthy has potentially made him reconsider. Per ESPN's Adam Schefter, the two will continue discussions. Taking into account Sanders' history with the team, it's likely he has a leg up on the competition. Additionally, he vastly improved Colorado's record in 2024, tying for first in the Big 12 and leading them to the Alamo Bowl. Stay tuned, as this should be a fascinating saga.

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Los Angeles Rams tight end Tyler Higbee (chest) exited Monday night's matchup with the Minnesota Vikings and is doubtful to return. The 32-year-old was busy to start this one, reeling in all five of his targets for 58 yards through the first quarter and change. It's unfortunate news for the veteran, who just returned from a lengthy absence due to a knee injury in Week 16. For now, teammate Colby Parkinson will work as the team's primary tight end, with Hunter Long and Davis Allen working in behind him.

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As recently as last week, there was a feeling inside the Las Vegas Raiders' team headquarters that owner Mark Davis would give head coach Antonio Pierce and general manager Tom Telesco another year to figure things out after a 4-13 finish in 2024. However, seven-time Super Bowl-champion Tom Brady, who purchased 5% of the team last October, felt a total reset was needed and persuaded Davis to fire both Pierce and Telesco. "This is Tom's show now," a person with knowledge of the situation said. Davis will make the final call on decisions for the franchise, but Davis wants Brady to have a "huge" voice and has a lot of trust in him. By firing Telesco, the Raiders have made the head-coach job more attractive to potential coaches, and the Raiders are willing to consider a package deal if their top coaching candidates have preferred front-office leaders in mind.

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Los Angeles Rams wide receiver Tyler Johnson is a healthy inactive for Monday night's wild-card showdown in Arizona against the Minnesota Vikings. Johnson will be the odd-man out for the Rams offense on Monday night after playing a season-high 49 offensive snaps in the Week 18 loss to the division-rival Seattle Seahawks in the regular-season finale with both Puka Nacua and Cooper Kupp resting. The 26-year-old pass-catcher will now hope the Rams can beat the Vikings to advance to the Divisional Round next weekend in Philadelphia versus the Eagles. The former fifth-round pick of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers back in 2020 out of Minnesota caught 26 of his 41 targets for 291 yards and only one touchdown (in Week 18) in 15 games (two starts) in his second season with LA and wasn't on the fantasy radar in 12-team formats.

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Minnesota Vikings running back Cam Akers (illness), who was listed as questionable for Monday night's wild-card game in Arizona against the Los Angeles Rams, is active and will be available. Akers popped up on the injury report this week on Saturday due to an illness and did not practice, but he's feeling better on Monday and should serve in his usual role as a change-of-pace option in Minnesota's backfield behind starter Aaron Jones. The 25-year-old will be a touchdown-dependent flex play, at best, against his former team in this one. Akers started the 2024 season with the Houston Texans before being acquired by the Vikings. In his 12 games in Minnesota this year, Akers has averaged 4.6 yards per carry and 5.3 rushing attempts per game, adding 297 rushing yards and three total TDs (two receiving). Unless Jones is hurt mid-game, Akers carries limited fantasy upside as the RB2.

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The Minnesota Vikings were reportedly considering elevating quarterback Daniel Jones to No. 2 QB duties for their wild-card playoff matchup on Monday against the Los Angeles Rams behind starter Sam Darnold, but Jones is officially inactive as the emergency third QB. Veteran Nick Mullens would be forced into action for the Vikes on Monday night if anything were to happen to Darnold. The 27-year-old Jones was cut by the New York Giants earlier this year and latched onto the Vikings' practice squad in late November, but he wasn't signed to Minnesota's active 53-man roster until last Tuesday. Jones will only be allowed to enter Monday's playoff game against the Rams in Arizona if both Darnold and Mullens are forced to exit due to injuries. Perhaps if the Vikings advance to the Divisional Round next weekend, Jones might leapfrog Mullens on the QB depth chart.

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NFL Network's Ian Rapoport says that Philadelphia Eagles offensive coordinator Kellen Moore is a name to watch for the head-coach opening for the Dallas Cowboys after they parted ways with Mike McCarthy on Monday. Dallas' head-coaching immediately becomes one of the most coveted positions in football given Dallas' roster, most notably with quarterback Dak Prescott (hamstring) and wide receiver CeeDee Lamb. CBS' Jonathan Jones speculates that Cowboys owner Jerry Jones could try to get former New England Patriots head coach Bill Belichick to leave the University of North Carolina to return to the NFL for Dallas' job. Moore spent eight years in Dallas as a player and coach, including four seasons as their offensive coordinator. He was the coordinator when the Cowboys led the NFL in points and yards per game in 2021.

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After parting ways with head coach Mike McCarthy on Monday, the Dallas Cowboys will quickly move on to trying to find his replacement this offseason, and CBS Sports' Jonathan Jones reports that University of North Carolina head coach and former New England Patriots head coach Bill Belichick could be at the top of owner Jerry Jones' wish list. Belichick and Jones have had a good relationship over the decades, and sources indicated that Belichick had interest in the Dallas head-coach job if it should open up. Belichick is now the head coach for the Tar Heels, but he has a $10 million buyout if he were to leave UNC before June 1. The buyout drops to $1 million after June 1 of this year. If Dallas is willing to wait, they could also be interested in Detroit Lions offensive coordinator Ben Johnson, who already interviewed with the Patriots, Jaguars, Raiders and Bears for their head-coach jobs over the weekend.

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NFL Network's Ian Rapoport reported on Monday that the New Orleans Saints are expected to have interest in Mike McCarthy for their head-coach opening after the Dallas Cowboys chose not to extend him a new contract. The Chicago Bears requested to interview McCarthy last week, but the Cowboys declined the request. Now that McCarthy is now a free agent, he'll most likely interview with the Bears and Saints, with other teams potentially jumping into the mix. During his five seasons as the head coach of the Cowboys, McCarthy went 49-35, but his 1-3 record in the postseason was his undoing. With a Super Bowl ring to his name as a member of the Green Bay Packers, teams looking for a head coach moving forward should have plenty of interest in McCarthy. Stay tuned for more news on interview requests for the veteran coach.

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Buffalo Bills head coach Sean McDermott confirmed on Monday that rookie running back Ray Davis (concussion) is in the league's concussion protocol after he suffered a head injury in the 31-7 win over the Denver Broncos on Sunday on wild-card weekend. Davis was hit hard by Broncos defensive back Brandon Jones in the third quarter and stayed down on the field for a while before eventually being taken to the locker room. The 25-year-old did not return and finished the blowout win with only one carry for three yards. Fellow backfield mate Ty Johnson ended up having a big game with a season-high nine carries for 44 yards and two receptions for 26 yards and his third receiving TD of the year. Davis will now have to pass through the concussion protocol in order to play in the Divisional Round against the Buffalo Bills. If Davis isn't cleared, Johnson would have a larger role again as James Cook's backup.

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