NFL Conference Championship Sunday Winners & Losers: The Patriots Are Being Underestimated

Kevin Clark is joined by Jourdan Rodrigue of The Athletic for a wide-ranging Super Bowl week conversation. The two dive into the evolution of NFL coaching trees, from Shanahan and McVay to the rise of Mike McDonald, and why the league may be running out of coaches. They break down Seattle’s defensive transformation, the Kubiak offensive lineage, and why certain “outlier” coaches simply can’t be replicated. Jourdan also explains why two-running-back systems are officially back, how defenses are catching up to modern offenses, and what this hiring cycle reveals about how owners are thinking. Plus: early contenders for the 2026 Super Bowl, Chargers optimism (with caveats), Broncos belief, Panthers intrigue, and why chasing trends keeps getting teams in trouble. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Domonique Foxworth joins Kevin Clark to dig into whether defense is actually “back” in the NFL, what this postseason really tells us about roster construction, and why great defenses never actually went anywhere.  Foxworth breaks down what makes the Seahawks defense so hard to play against, explains how teams actually evaluate head coaching candidates, and weighs in on the Mike McCarthy-to-Steelers discourse that NFL Twitter can’t stop arguing about. The conversation also hits: The hidden challenges of hiring offensive-minded head coaches How players experience losses differently than fans Steelers stability, Ravens structure, and modern coaching myths  Live Show Tickets: FoxworthLivePod.com | Strand Theater, San Francisco | February 5th 6 PT | Featuring Domonique Foxworth, Kevin Clark, Mina Kimes, Marcus Spears & Charlie Kravitz | Proceeds benefit Special Olympics Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Super Bowl LX is set: Patriots vs. Seahawks, and Kevin Clark dives in on how we got here. Kevin breaks down: What it was really like inside the stadium for the Malcolm Butler pick Why the Seahawks’ rapid turnaround is a warning to teams considering coaching changes Mike Macdonald, John Schneider, and the anatomy of a modern NFL rebuild Jaxson Smith-Njigba’s dominance and why defenses still can’t stop him Drake Maye’s postseason run and why the Patriots are being underestimated Why this NFL season is one of the strangest in recent memory Early thoughts on the Super Bowl matchup and why recency bias matters Plus: thoughts on the coaching carousel, the Mike McCarthy hire, and why patience still matters in the NFL. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Albert Breer joins Kevin Clark to break down one of the most fascinating weeks in football. They start with the Bills’ awkward ownership press conference and what it signals for Buffalo’s future, Josh Allen, and the coaching search. From there, the conversation expands to the broken college football calendar, NFL owners speaking publicly, and why restraint is often the smartest move. Breer also explains how Mike Vrabel reshaped the Patriots so quickly, why New England’s roster overhaul actually makes sense, and what separates clear organizational vision from dysfunction. Plus: Jared Stidham’s unlikely playoff moment, why the Seahawks may be the most talented team remaining, how the Rams have redefined their identity, and what’s being overlooked heading into this weekend’s games. To close, Breer looks ahead to the offseason and explains why quarterback movement could be more unpredictable than usual, even without obvious trade candidates. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Kevin Clark is joined by a pair of former All-Pros to help set the table for Sunday's championship games. First, former Broncos CB Chris Harris Jr. joins to discuss the similarities between the current Broncos team and the Super Bowl Champion Broncos from a decade ago. Chris shares his thoughts on how the game has changed and why dominant defenses are suddenly having a resurgence. Plus, his impressions of Seattle's defense and what he thinks Sam Darnold needs to do to get to the Super Bowl. Then former MVP Shaun Alexander joins to discuss how the Seahawks have been able to return to greatness. Hear what Shaun thinks of the current Seattle secondary and how it compares to the legion of boom. Plus the running backs he enjoys watching the most & incredible stories from his playing days. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Conference Championship Weekend is set, and Kevin Clark breaks down one of the wildest playoff slates we’ve seen in years. From Caleb Williams’ video-game miracle throw to Sean McVay’s questionable game management, Kevin reacts to Bears-Rams, the state of modern playoff football, and why defense is officially back in the NFL. He dives deep into the decision not to go for two, what Chicago should feel coming out of the loss, and why this game may define how Caleb Williams is viewed going forward. Plus:• Why Super Bowl odds for the Broncos don’t make sense• Sean McVay coaching “not to lose”• The Texans’ collapse, and why CJ Stroud’s performance may have permanently changed Houston’s franchise outlook• Why the era of paying every quarterback immediately might be over Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Division Round Night One is in the books, and Kevin Clark is reacting to everything that went wrong, especially for Buffalo. Kevin breaks down the Bills’ devastating playoff loss to the Broncos, the controversial late call that ended the game, and why this might be the most painful loss of the Josh Allen era. Kevin explains why this loss feels different, and why a full organizational audit may finally be unavoidable. Plus: What Buffalo must fix this offseason (and why standing pat isn’t an option) Seahawks-49ers wasn’t complicated and why Seattle looks terrifying Initial reactions to the latest NFL coaching hires, John Harbaugh to the Giants and Kevin Stefanski to Atlanta Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Courtney Cronin joins Kevin Clark to break down the Bears’ stunning playoff win over the Packers. They dive into Ben Johnson’s immediate impact, Caleb Williams’ development, and whether the Bears are truly changing as a franchise.   From there, Kevin and Courtney zoom out to the rest of the NFL playoffs, which teams are actually built to make a Super Bowl run, coaching edges that matter, and why some contenders are more fragile than they look.   They wrap with a preview of the national title game between Miami and Indiana. Hear how the alums of both schools are feeling about their team headed into Monday night. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Kevin Clark gives his immediate reaction to the news that Mike Tomlin is out in Pittsburgh after 19 years. What might be next for Tomlin and why even some teams that have head coaches should be in the market for him. Then Kevin is joined by Titans First Team All-Pro Jeffery Simmons to discuss what the Titans have to look forward to following a rough season. Jeff shares what he saw from Cam Ward in year one, and why he believes there's reason for optimism for him in year 2.  Jeff gives insight into what makes the remaining playoff teams uniquely tough. Jeff shares what he saw from the Rams early in the season, reluctantly gives praise to the division rival Texans defense, and why 49ers LT Trent Williams is so tough to go against. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Wild Card Weekend Day 2 delivered fantastic drama and Kevin Clark breaks it all down. Through just four games, this postseason has already featured more fourth-quarter lead changes than any playoff run in NFL history, and it’s exposing something bigger: real parity is back. The era of one or two juggernauts cruising through January is over. In this episode: Why the NFL’s elite quarterbacks no longer guarantee dominance The uncomfortable conversation around Justin Herbert and why he gets treated differently How the NFC West turned into the old SEC West, and why fading the 49ers might be a mistake Kyle Shanahan’s best coaching job yet amid a brutal injury season The Eagles’ troubling vibes, A.J. Brown disappearing acts, and why Big Dom might be the most important man on the sideline Josh Allen reminding everyone he’s the best player on the planet What the Jaguars got wrong, and why “young team, they’ll be back” is a dangerous lie Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices