Rams beat Sam Darnold, Vikings; Could Deion Sanders coach the Cowboys?

This is an article version of the CBS Sports HQ AM newsletter, the ultimate daily guide to sports. You can sign up to get it in your inbox every weekday morning here.

🏈 Good morning everyone, but especially…

Los Angeles RAMs

Don’t look now, but these AriesWhile their offense can be as hot as anyone’s, their defense is now getting stronger. Los Angeles made life miserable Sam Darnold And vikings A route offense 27-9 win.

• Matthew Stafford Throw down a touch Kieran Williams on the opening drive, and the defense took over from there. The Rams sacked Darnold nine times, tying an NFL playoff record.
• That includes one Ahkelo Witherspoon Strip sacks in which Jared Verse Scooped the ball 57 yards for a touchdown shortly before halftime.
• Give the Rams coordinator tremendous credit Chris Shula And his entire defense, a very young unit that’s about $38 million cheaper than the NFL’s next-cheapest defense.

What a remarkable rally from this team, not just this week, but when The game was moved to Arizona As a result of wildfires, however, this season and the past few seasons. In 2021 the Rams went all-in and won it all. Then 2022 was attempted Sean McVay Considering retirement, the team paid Piper after his winning investment.

But then the team started hitting picks. Stafford got a superstar Puka NakuyaA 2023 fifth-rounder, and Williams, a 2022 fifth-rounder, also emerged. The very defensive line that destroyed Minnesota Almost exclusively indigenous. Les Snead has remained “F— they pick” Nurturing them and capitalizing on them.

This is how you expand a Super Bowl window. The Rams went 1-4 heading into the divisional round, where they will face off the eagleAnd though Philadelphia is favorableThe Rams might be the team no one wants to see this postseason.

Here is the divisional round schedule:

Saturday, January 18

• (4) Texans at (1) Chiefs, 4:30 p.m
• (6) Commanders (1) Lions, 8 p.m

Sunday, January 19

• (4) Rams at (2) Eagles, 3 p.m
• (3) Ravens at (2) Bills, 6:30 p.m

😃 Honorable mention

🏈 And not such a good morning for …

Sam Darnold and the Minnesota Vikings

Nine days ago, the Vikings had a chance to earn the NFC’s No. 1 seed, a first-round bye and home-field advantage. Today is the end of their season. In between, Darnold produced stickers in two of the biggest phases of his professional career.

It is destructive. Minnesota won 14 games, the second most in franchise history. They beat everyone no The name given is Singha or Ram. If you want to take the optimistic view, you could say that the Vikings did all of this in what was supposed to be a “rebuilding” year — or at least a bridge year — Kirk Cousins From the era JJ McCarthy one

But that’s not how the NFL works, especially when you don’t have one Justin Jefferson And a staunch defense and plenty of talent. Seeing great seasons evaporate like this — and make no mistake, it was a great season — hurts. a lot

It’s fair to wonder what’s next for Darnold — he was the one Biggest loss of wild card weekendOne of his products is holding the ball too long behind a disorganized offensive line, but what’s next for Minnesota? It would be a little easier if we could see McCarthy play, or if he at least got a year of practice. But McCarthy Torn his meniscus in August and had a Second surgery If Darnold doesn’t return in November, Minnesota’s talented, win-now roster will largely depend on the second-year rookie.

It doesn’t end there. What a great year Harrison Smith (35) Or Stephen Gilmour (34) Or Aaron Jones (30) has Will they come back? what about Brian FloresA Popular coaching candidates Who overhauled the defense?

In the NFL, opening a championship window takes a lot of time, effort and, frankly, luck. But those windows can close in the blink of an eye, a brutal reality of a brutal game. Minnesota’s Championship Window can Wide open McCarthy can Open it wider. But uncertainty is never easily swallowed.

😖 Not so honorable mention

🏈 Cowboys, Mike McCarthy split: Exploring Dallas’ options, including … Deion Sanders?!

After more than a week many teams have started their coaching search the cowboy Decided to have one too. Dallas and Mike McCarthy Failed to come to an agreement on a new contractMeaning they will go their separate ways.

McCarthy’s contract officially expires today, and apparently the team and coach Even contract negotiations were not open As of Monday. This, of course, begs the question: “What on earth were the cowboys doing last week?” As for us Coaching Interview Tracker Point being, six other teams with coaching voids had a huge head start in Dallas, and the Patriots had already made a hire.

Troy Aikman How things went down in Dallas is torn, telling “There is no real plan,” And I agree 100%. A bad look for this Jerry JonesEven if, as Jeff Kerr says, Moving on was the right decision from McCarthy. Some owners struggle because they temper employees, others make mistakes because they don’t spend big, and others get frustrated because they want all the attention. But here’s the thing about Jones: He checked three boxes.

So now after delay and delay, Cowboys want to move fastAnd their findings are already rightfully grabbing headlines: Bill Belichick May be at the top of the wish listAlthough he already is rejected D the invader … and took a coaching job in Chapel Hill. And then there’s this – Jones and Deion Sanders there is Contact has been reported.

Jared Dubin has one Full list of potential candidatesWhich is actually from out-of-the-box options from Jones Connection. For that first section…

• Dubin: “Among the names in this part of the list, (Lions DC) Aaron Glenn Probably the most. He is both a serious candidate and has ties to the Cowboys organization, having played there Bill Purcell In 2005 and 2006. Glenn has done a great job with Detroit’s defense (and New Orleans’ before that) and the Jones family loves themselves a familiar face.”

McCarthy, despite his tough final season in Dallas, went 49-35 there and had three 12-win seasons. He won a Super Bowl with it Packers. He will have optionsToo — maybe even in a reunion Aaron Rodgers.

🥊 Tyson Fury is retiring… again

Two-time world heavyweight champion Tyson Fury there is His announcement the second the third Fourth Retirement Whether or not this will last from boxing, only time will tell.

• Fury, 36, is one of the greatest boxers of his generation. He defeated Wladimir Klitschko He quickly lost the IBF belt to claim the IBF, WBA and WBO titles in 2015, however, to advance to a rematch with Klitschko instead of a face-off. Bacheslav Glaskov. (Neither did the rematch.)
• Fury later failed a drug test and was suspended; He had mental health struggles.
• Fury returned in 2018 and fought three times, including one of the all-time greats — a split draw — Deontay Wilder. Fury defeated Wilder in their rematch in 2020 to become the WBC champion before defeating Wilder again in 2021.
• In May 2024, Fury fought Alexander Usyk But he lost, the first defeat of his career. Fury also lost to Usyk in a rematch in December.

Again, though, we’ll see if it lasts. Fury has retired in 2013, 2017 and 2022 and is fighting big numbers. Anthony Joshua In the making possible. So it wouldn’t be a shock at all if Fury were to pull out of his 2025 retirement as well.

📺 What we’re seeing on Tuesday

🏀 Cavalry of Pacers7pm on TNT/truTV
🏀 No. 15 Mississippi State at No. 1 Auburn (M).7 pm on the SEC Network
🏀 No. 21 Ole Miss at 4 No. Alabama (M).7 p.m. on ESPNU
🏀 No. 11 Texas A&M at No. 8 Kentucky (M)7 p.m. on ESPN2
🏀 No. 24 Minnesota at No. 8 Maryland (W)7pm on BTN
🏀 Miami at No. 3 Duke (M).9 p.m. on ESPN
🏀 Mavericks at Nuggets9:30 pm on TNT/truTV