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The Chicago Bears had a magical season this year, but it ended after the Rams beat them in overtime in the NFC Divisional matchup. The Rams won 20-17 and are advancing to the NFC Championship game. While the result was heartbreaking for Bears fans, the future looks bright in Chicago, especially with Caleb Williams and Ben Johnson running the show. Still, the Bears were proud of their season and wanted to cherish how far they had come and everything they had done. Bears tight end Cole Kmet offered perspective on the loss and the season, noting that what hurts the most is how much it took to get that far in the first place. While he is excited for the future, he knows getting back to this point is not guaranteed. “To think that it’s just going to happen again, that’s very wishful thinking, very wishful,” Kmet said. “And we play in a tough division. I know we won the division, but we also went 2-4 in the division this year. And those teams are going to come back hungry. It’s just that much harder. And so that’s why it hurts when you have the opportunity now, and you just come up a little short. It stinks because there’s a lot of work that has to be done to get to this point.” This season was a massive turnaround in Chicago for Ben Johnson’s first season as head coach. The key was how this offense looked in Caleb Williams’ second season. Williams also expressed hope for the future, despite the disappointing end to the season, especially after the miracle throw he made to tie the game. “In these moments, you feel like you let your team down,” Williams said. “It’s a good lesson for us; first time being in this situation for me and for us as a team. I’m excited for what’s to come.” The Bears had a taste of success, going from five wins to 11 and winning the NFC North, and also got their first playoff win in 15 years. The future is still bright, but in a tough division, nothing is guaranteed. The post Bears TE Cole Kmet hits Chicago with warning after loss to Rams that just ‘stinks’ appeared first on ClutchPoints.

The Seattle Seahawks delivered an emphatic win on Saturday night. Seattle crushed San Francisco 41-6 in a dominant game that punched their ticket to the NFC Championship. Unfortunately, the Seahawks got an unfortunate injury update on Monday just days after the huge win. Seahawks running back Zach Charbonnet suffered a significant knee injury on Saturday that will require surgery. He will miss the rest of the playoffs. “The bummer is Charbs,” Macdonald said on Seattle Sports on Monday per Maura Dooley. “He’s got a significant knee injury unfortunately. Breaks your heart. He’s going to need surgery. He’s going to have a long road back.” According to ESPN’s Adam Schefter, Charbonnet tore his ACL. This is a crushing update for Seahawks fans after such a big win. It also hurts because Schefter reported on Sunday that Seattle was “optimistic” that Charbonnet’s knee was structurally intact. Charbonnet suffered the injury during the second quarter against the 49ers. He took a hard hit on a 3rd-and-2 running play. Charbonnet left the game and did not return, though at the time it may have looked like caution because the game was a rout. He finished Saturday’s game with five carries for 20 rushing yards. Charbonnet’s brutal injury puts even more pressure on Kenneth Walker III and Velus Jones Jr. Fans can expect the Seahawks to add another veteran running back to replace Charbonnet’s spot on the roster. Thankfully Walker looked great against the 49ers. He turned 19 carries into 116 rushing yards and three touchdowns, imposing his will throughout the game. Seattle will be counting on Walker to have another big game next weekend now that Charbonnet is done for the season. Next up for the Seahawks is an NFC Championship matchup against the Rams at 6:30PM ET on Sunday. The post Seahawks’ Zach Charbonnet has ‘significant’ knee injury that will require surgery appeared first on ClutchPoints.

The Denver Broncos ended Josh Allen and the Buffalo Bills’ Super Bowl hopes by betting on preparation when the season was on the line. In the Divisional Round, Marvin Mims Jr. turned a practice win into a game-defining strike. The moment traced back to daily battles with Patrick Surtain II, the standard of Denver’s defense. That history mattered. It shaped confidence. It shaped the call. Broncos head coach Sean Payton explained why the play stayed alive, as reported by DNVR Sports’ Zac Stevens. “He ran that same route on Surtain and when I say like beat him, it was a double move and we just hadn’t called that play in a while and it looked so good in our joint practice,” Payton said. “I’m like, man, that’s got to go to the call sheet.” After Marvin Mims beat the “No. 1 corner in the world,” Sean Payton knew he had to run that play in the game. pic.twitter.com/C2k7KPl8Nd — Zac Stevens (@ZacStevensDNVR) January 19, 2026 The reminder stuck. It carried into the Broncos’ final preparation. “And when we did our video the night before and I put the practice clip up, I said, you’re beating the number one corner in the world,” Payton continued. “All right. I don’t care who they put over there in the game tomorrow. We’re running this play.” Even then, patience tested him. “So there’s a few times and I’ll say to the guys in the booth, guys, we can’t finish this game and me not having called that play,” Payton said. “And that was one of those plays.” Practice told the truth. The Broncos listened. When Broncos preparation became the moment The game tightened late. Every snap felt heavier. With 55 seconds left in the fourth quarter, Payton finally called it. Bo Nix dropped back and launched deep left. Marvin Mims Jr. separated. Twenty-six yards. Touchdown. The Broncos surged ahead 30–27, and the stadium shook. The Bills refused to fade. A clutch field goal forced overtime. Tension climbed again. Still, the Broncos stayed composed and finished the job, escaping with a 33–30 Divisional Round victory. This was not luck. It was memory. A route saved. A moment trusted. Practice reps against Patrick Surtain II became proof, not theory. When the season hangs in the balance, preparation speaks the loudest. And when it does, will the Broncos keep listening? The post Broncos’ Marvin Mims Jr. cooking Patrick Surtain in practice led to go-ahead TD vs. Bills appeared first on ClutchPoints.

The New England Patriots are rolling, the NFL Playoffs are alive, and Super Bowl talk is getting louder by the week. Drake Maye and the Patriots just handled the Houston Texans, pushed another step closer to February, and reignited belief across the fan base. Still, not everyone is convinced this run is complete. On the Bill Simmons Podcast, Bill Simmons raised a familiar concern. The concern wasn’t talent. Coaching wasn’t the issue either. The real question was whether this Patriots team truly feels ready right now. Simmons framed his doubt through memory and instinct. “As you watch them is it like holy s—t this is a team that belongs in the Super Bowl,” Simmons said. “Because to me we had this in Parcells last season. The ‘96 team. Which just felt like a year from now it was going to be an awesome team and then they made the Super Bowl and it was like, alright I guess we’re ready. That’s kind of how I feel about this team.” A Patriots rise that still feels unfinished This Patriots turnaround has been startling. In one season, a 4–13 record turned into a 13–4 surge. That kind of leap doesn’t happen by accident. It reflects growth, structure, and belief. The Texans felt that surge firsthand in the NFL Playoffs. At the same time, it raises the question Simmons keeps circling. Is this a finished product, or the beginning of something bigger? For now, the opportunity is real. One more win sends the Patriots back to the Super Bowl. Standing in the way is a Broncos team starting backup quarterback Jarrett Stidham. On paper, it looks favorable. In January, games rarely are. Pressure tightens. Execution decides everything. There’s also history waiting. The Patriots last won it all in 2019, beating the Los Angeles Rams 13–3. Because of that, a rematch is possible if the Rams clear the NFC Championship. Symmetry is tempting. Reality, however, is harsher. In the end, Simmons said what many are thinking but few want to voice. Are the Patriots early, or exactly on time? Under playoff lights, they’ll decide that themselves. The post Bill Simmons casts doubt on Patriots’ Super Bowl readiness appeared first on ClutchPoints.