In this episode, Santiago and Joe recap 2023 Championship Sunday.
Contributors
Santiago Leon – @sleon
Joe Toscano – @joeybagovdonuts
Mike McCarthy to call plays as Cowboys part ways with offensive coordinator Kellen Moore
Kellen Moore’s tenure as the Cowboys offensive coordinator is done.
His successor already is in place.
The club and Moore came to what is described as a mutual decision to part ways, the team announced at nearly 10 p.m. Sunday night after The Dallas Morning News had reported the move. Head coach Mike McCarthy will assume play calling duties in the wake of Moore’s departure, a person with knowledge of the shakeup told The News.
Dolphins hire Vic Fangio
Former Denver Broncos head coach Vic Fangio has reached agreement with the Miami Dolphins to be the team’s defensive coordinator, a source confirmed to ESPN.
Fangio, 64, sat out this season after he was fired as the Broncos’ head coach last January.
Fangio was 19-30 in three seasons as the Broncos’ head coach after being hired by the team in 2019.
Panthers hire Frank Reich
Frank Reich, the starting quarterback for the first game in Carolina Panthers history in 1995, is now the team’s sixth head coach.
Owner David Tepper chose Reich, 61, after an extensive search that included nine candidates, including interim head coach Steve Wilks and former New Orleans Saints head coach Sean Payton.
It ultimately came down to Reich and Wilks, who went 6-6 after Matt Rhule was fired following a 1-4 start. Wilks was the sentimental favorite of Carolina players to get the full-time job.
Texans about to hire 49er’s DC Demeco Ryans as head coach
San Francisco 49ers defensive coordinator DeMeco Ryans is considered the favorite for the Houston Texans’ head-coaching job, sources told ESPN’s Adam Schefter.
Ryans, who interviewed with the Texans on Jan. 20, also has been linked to head-coaching vacancies with the Denver Broncos and Indianapolis Colts.
But after overseeing the NFL’s No. 1 defense this past season, Ryans now is the front-runner to be the next head coach of the Texans, who are expected to pursue him after the 49ers’ 31-7 loss in Sunday’s NFC Championship Game.
The Texans fired former coach Lovie Smith after going 3-13-1 and finishing last in the AFC South in 2022. They have gone just 11-38-1 over the past three seasons.
Ryans, a former NFL linebacker who was a standout with the Texans, has been an assistant on the Niners’ staff since 2017 and completed his second season as their defensive coordinator. San Francisco’s defense ranked No. 1 in the league in yards allowed (300.6) and points allowed (16.3) per game this past season.
49ers 7 Eagles 31
The top-seeded Eagles manhandled the San Francisco 49ers, 31-7, in the NFC championship game Sunday and will meet either the Cincinnati Bengals or Kansas City Chiefs in Super Bowl 57, Feb. 12 in Glendale, Arizona.
The Eagles rushed for four touchdowns, two by Miles Sanders, on their way to a convincing victory over the injury-plagued 49ers.
San Francisco lost starting quarterback Brock Purdy to an elbow injury in the first quarter but had to bring back a far less-than-100% version of Purdy in the second half after backup Josh Johnson exited with a concussion.
49ers stats
Josh Johnson 74 yards
Brock Purdy – 23 yards
Rushing
Christian McCaffrey 0 84 yards
Receiving
Deebo SAmuel – 33yards
George Kittle – 32 yards
Eagles Stats
Passing
Hurts – 121 yards
Rushing
Gawinwell – 48 yards
Miles Sanders – 42 yards
Hurts – 21 yards
Receiving
Devonta Smith – 36 yards
AJ Brown – 28 yrads
Genneth Gainwell – 26 yards
Dalls Goeder – 23 yards
Benglas 20 Chiefs 23
Patrick Mahomes strained to reach the mark he needed and was headed out of bounds when he felt the hands of Joseph Ossai send him sprawling into the bench.
The mad dash, coupled with the 15-yard penalty for a late hit, was all Kansas City needed.
Harrison Butker strode confidently onto the field, sent a 45-yard kick through cold, gusting wind over the crossbar with 3 seconds to go, and put the Chiefs back in the Super Bowl for the third time in four years with a 23-20 victory.
Burrow, who was sacked five times and wobbly by the end, finished with 270 yards passing to go with a touchdown and two interceptions for the Bengals. Tee Higgins had six catches for 83 yards and the score.
Mahomes strained to reach the mark he needed and was headed out of bounds when he felt the hands of Joseph Ossai send him sprawling into the bench.
The mad dash, coupled with the 15-yard penalty for a late hit, was all Kansas City needed.
Mahomes, who hurt his ankle against Jacksonville in the divisional round, threw for 326 yards and two touchdowns, even though he was missing three of his wide receivers to injuries by the end. Marquez Valdes-Scantling led with 116 yards and a touchdown, while Travis Kelce — bad back and all — had seven catches for 78 yards and a score.
PREDICTIONS
Poll Question
What goes best with a #croissant ? #CroissantDay #NationalCroissantDay
Butter – 33.3%, Nutella – 33.3%, Jam 22.2 %, Honey 11.1%
JT: Other, Croissant Sandwich
Santiago Leon is the Founder and CEO of the Sports Cast. He covers NFL, NBA, and world soccer. He’s also founder of sleon productions, which he specializes in technology and serves clients with solutions to make their business grow.
