Falcons Conducting DC Interview With Vic Fangio; Brian Flores Interested In Position
NFC South rivals are the first to bring in Vic Fangio for interviews. After interviewing for the Panthers’ defensive coordinator position, the respected defensive coach is meeting with the Falcons on Wednesday, Ian Rapoport of NFL.com tweets.
Fangio, who took this season off, has said his NFL return would likely be as a coordinator. The former Broncos HC will undoubtedly have extensive options, given his resume. The Falcons have already reached out to Brian Flores and Al Holcomb about the job Dean Pees recently vacated, and Jeremy Fowler of ESPN.com notes the former — his place in the Cardinals’ HC derby notwithstanding — has shown interest in the gig.
Flores has never held the defensive coordinator title, residing as a position coach in New England and Pittsburgh and a head coach in Miami. But the Patriots employed Flores as a de facto DC in 2018, after Matt Patricia left for the Lions. And Flores shined in that season, which ended in a sixth Pats Super Bowl title thanks largely to a defense that limited the Rams to three points in Super Bowl LIII.
Flores’ Dolphins tenure became rather polarizing, especially in the wake of his discrimination lawsuit after a surprise 2022 firing, but he has continued to generate interest around the league. Four teams interviewed him for their HC positions last year, and the Cardinals are planning on an interview soon. Arizona hiring ex-Patriots executive Monti Ossenfort as GM has drawn a line to Flores, who was in New England for most of Ossenfort’s tenure with the team.
The Falcons could be a fallback option for Flores, who was in the running for the Browns’ DC gig until the end (when the team hired Jim Schwartz). But Fangio is one of the most experienced defensive coaches in NFL history. A staffer dating back to the mid-1980s, Fangio was a DC for five teams — including the Panthers, back in the ’90s — prior to his Broncos HC stay. Fangio concepts are being used around the league, and his top-tier 49ers defenses helped bolster Jim Harbaugh‘s reputation. Fangio elevated the Bears to a No. 1 defense in 2018, leading to his Broncos opportunity. While injuries and and the Broncos’ evergreen quarterback problem doomed Fangio’s HC chance, it certainly appears he will be back in the league soon.
It will be interesting to see if Fangio takes an early DC offer or waits out some of the HC hires — and Sean Payton‘s decision, considering the two were linked recently — to see what other jobs are available.
Commanders Interview Pat Shurmur For OC; Darrell Bevell, Charles London On Radar
After a season off, Pat Shurmur is back in the offensive coordinator mix. The veteran assistant/HC is meeting with the Commanders for their OC vacancy Tuesday. The team’s search is starting to come into focus.
In addition to Shurmur, Washington wants to interview Miami quarterbacks coach Darrell Bevell and Atlanta QBs coach Charles London, per CBS Sports’ Josina Anderson and the Washington Post’s Nicki Jhabvala (Twitter links). The team has either interviewed or has requests out to all three options. Commanders QBs coach Ken Zampese is also on the radar to succeed Scott Turner.
[RELATED: Jim Caldwell Turns Down Commanders Interview Request]
Considering what happened after the Broncos did not retain Shurmur, his work during two seasons in Denver looks a bit better. The Broncos finished 23rd in scoring under Shurmur in 2021 but dropped to last in the Nathaniel Hackett–Russell Wilson 2022 one-off. Shurmur, 57, has been an OC for four teams — the Rams, Eagles, Vikings and Broncos — dating back to the late 2000s and enjoyed HC opportunities with both the Browns and Giants.
Although Shurmur went two-and-done as a head coach in Cleveland and New York, his most notable OC run came in Minnesota. The Vikings losing starter Sam Bradford and still going 13-3 — behind a stunning season from Case Keenum, who finished first in quarterback DVOA — in 2017 put Shurmur back on the HC radar. The Broncos won seven games with Teddy Bridgewater as their starter in 2021, before losing each of Drew Lock‘s starts that year. The 2022 season marked Shurmur’s first year out of the NFL since 1998. Landing the Commanders gig would put Shurmur one notch away from the NFC East cycle, as Shurmur was an Andy Reid staffer in Philly for 10 years prior to beginning his run as a play-caller.
Bevell, 53, brings similar experience but is also in the running for the Jets’ OC position. The Jets are planning an interview, and the veteran OC is viewed as a frontrunner for the Gang Green gig. Bevell has not earned any HC opportunities like Shurmur has, but he is a Super Bowl-winning OC who spent this season overseeing a breakthrough from Tua Tagovailoa. The Dolphins saw the former No. 5 overall pick show considerable improvement, throwing 25 touchdown passes despite only finishing 12 starts. Known mostly for his seven-year role in Seattle, Bevell has been in the NFL since 2000. He may well finish this year’s hiring period with his fifth OC chance.
London, 47, does not hold similar experience. The Falcons assistant has not been a coordinator previously and arrived in Atlanta in 2021 after coaching the Texans and Bears’ running backs from 2014-21. The Georgia native has spent the past two seasons working under Arthur Smith and OC Dave Ragone but has generated some coordinator interest recently. The Dolphins and Rams interviewed London for their OC posts last year.
Falcons Request DC Interviews With Brian Flores, Al Holcomb
The list of potential candidates to fill the Falcons’ defensive coordinator vacancy continues to grow. Atlanta has requested interviews with Steelers linebackers coach Brian Flores and Panthers DC Al Holcomb (Twitter links via Josina Anderson of CBS Sports and ESPN’s Adam Schefter). 
Flores has received interest in multiple coaching opportunities this offseason, including a recent interview with the Browns for their DC position. A move to Cleveland would represent a step up in title relative to his current arrangement in Pittsburgh, though the 41-year-old played a more sizeable role on Mike Tomlin‘s staff than an average position coach, of course.
The Cardinals have also reached out to Flores seeking an interview for their head coaching vacancy. If he were to land that job, it would mark a quick turnaround from his firing by the Dolphins last offseason. That move ended his three-year tenure in Miami, one which has been followed by his ongoing racial discrimination suit against the NFL in general and several teams in particular. The controversy surrounding his exit – and its subsequent effect on the 2022 coaching cycle, among other things – was a key storyline around the league.
Holcomb, 50, has been an NFL staffer since 2009. His lone season as a full-time defensive coordinator came with the Cardinals in 2018, under head coach Steve Wilks. The pair were reunited in Carolina, and Holcomb spent the 2020 and ’21 campaigns serving as the Panthers’ defensive run game coordinator. Following the firing of Matt Rhule – and the subsequent departures of multiple members of his staff, coupled with Wilks taking over – Holcomb was promoted to the role of interim DC to finish the season.
This news comes after it was reported earlier today that the Panthers put in an interview request for Jets safeties coach Marquand Manuel. That meeting is likely to concern Carolina’s DC position, so Holcomb’s future will be worth monitoring as the coaching (and coordinator) cycles take shape in the coming days. He and Flores join the Packers’ Jerry Gray and the Saints’ Ryan Nielsen as targets for Atlanta to replace Dean Pees following his retirement.
Falcons Request DC Interviews With Jerry Gray, Ryan Nielsen
The Falcons have reportedly hit a roadblock with their first target to take on their vacant defensive coordinator position. Two new names have quickly emerged as candidates the team is interested in meeting with, however. 
Atlanta has put in an interview request with Packers defensive backs coach and passing game coordinator Jerry Gray, per Benjamin Albright of KOA Colorado (Twitter link). A sit-down is expected to take place next week, Albright adds. That news comes as little surprise, given the fact that Gray was quickly named as a candidate to replace Falcons DC Dean Pees following his retirement announcement.
Gray, 60, has NFL coaching experience dating back to 1997. His time on the sidelines at the pro level began in Tennessee, and includes a stint as the Bills’ DC from 2001-05. Gray ultimately found himself back with the Titans in 2011, when he took charge of their defense. His unit put up generally sub-par numbers during his time in Nashville, aside from his first year in charge where the team’s defense ranked eighth in scoring.
In addition, the Falcons have their eyes on the Saints’ Ryan Nielsen, Bruce Feldman of The Athletic tweets. The 43-year-old has exclusively worked with New Orleans during his time as an NFL staffer, beginning with the team in 2017. He spent five years working strictly with the defensive line, before being promoted to the role of co-DC this past offseason.
That move was necessitated by Dennis Allen being promoted to New Orleans’ head coach, of course, and increased Nielson’s importance (along with that of Kris Richard) to the Saints’ defense. The unit delivered a strong performance in 2022, ranking fifth in the league in yards allowed and ninth in scoring. That wasn’t enough to guide the Saints to a postseason berth given their offensive struggles, but it likely boosted Nielson’s stock as a high-end coordinator candidate.
Either option would bring significant experience to the rebuilding Falcons’ defense, so they could be serious candidates for the job. Atlanta is expected to cast a wide net in their search for Pees’ successor, however, so their list of interviewees is likely to grow in the coming days.
Broncos To Block Falcons’ Ejiro Evero DC Interview Request
JANUARY 14: Atlanta will not have the opportunity to meet with Evero, it appears. The Broncos are expected to block the Falcons’ request, as first reported by Denver7’s Troy Renck (on Twitter). Veteran Cardinals reporter Mike Jurecki corroborates that sense, and adds that Denver is not expected to allow Evero to take part in any potential DC interviews (Twitter link). That news comes as little surprise, given his head coaching candidacy with the Broncos in particular, but it will leave the Falcons to look elsewhere for Pees’ successor.
JANUARY 13: The Falcons are in need of a new defensive coordinator after veteran Dean Pees announced (for the third, and what is expected to be final, time) his retirement. They are eyeing a replacement who has generated plenty of other interest during this year’s coaching cycle. 
Atlanta has requested an interview with Broncos DC Ejiro Evero for the opportunity to hold the same title with the Falcons, reports Tom Pelissero of NFL Network (Twitter link). Seeing as a hire taking him from Denver to Atlanta would constitute a lateral move, the Broncos have the option of denying the request.
The same is not true, of course, of the head coaching inquiries Evero has received. The 42-year-old is a candidate to replace Nathaniel Hackett in Denver, an opportunity he earned after guiding the team’s defense to a respectable performance on the season, especially within the context of the team’s immense struggles on offense. The Broncos had the league’s seventh-best total defense in 2022, Evero’s first season as a defensive coordinator.
His risking stock has also been reflected by the interest shown in him externally. The Colts had an interview with Evero yesterday, and the Texans are also set to meet with him during their HC search. Given his age, relative lack of coordinator experience and background on the defensive side of the ball, Evero could be considered an outside option to land a HC gig this offseason. Today’s request, if granted, would give him another option to consider outside the Mile High City, though.
The Falcons had Pees at the helm of their defense for the past two seasons. During both campaigns, the unit struggled across the board as the team worked their way out of multiple cumbersome contracts to set up their rebuild. That process will be aided by the fact Atlanta is projected to have the second-most cap space in the league, and that they hold three of the upcoming draft’s top 76 picks.
The Falcons thus have plenty of potential to augment a defense led by d-lineman Grady Jarrett and cornerback A.J. Terrell. Evero would have vastly experienced shoes to fill if he were to replace Pees, but he would represent a noteworthy addition for the Falcons if he were to land the position.
NFL Reserve/Futures Contracts: 1/9/23
18 teams had their seasons come to an end yesterday, and their front offices have already turned the page to the 2023 NFL seaon. This started today, as a number of players were signed to reserve/futures contracts, which allows organizations to retain (routinely) young, practice squad players throughout the offseason. Here are today’s reserve/futures contracts:
Arizona Cardinals
- T Julien Davenport, S Juju Hughes, LB Blake Lynch, TE Chris Pierce, TE Bernhard Seikovits, G Lachavious Simmons, WR Auden Tate, S Josh Thomas, T Badara Traore, WR Javon Wims
Atlanta Falcons
- WR Josh Ali, RB BJ Baylor, OLB Quinton Bell, DL Amani Bledsoe, LB Dorian Etheridge, TE Tucker Fisk, CB Javelin Guidry, CB Matt Hankins, OL Jonotthan Harrison, WR Ra’Shaun Henry, LB Nathan Landman, DB Dylan Mabin, CB Jamal Peters, TE John Raine, FB Clint Ratkovich, CB John Reid, OL Justin Shaffer, OL Tyler Vrabel
Buffalo Bills
- WR Isaiah Coulter, DE Kendal Vickers
Carolina Panthers
- G Deonte Brown, RB Spencer Brown, DE Kobe Jones, LB Arron Mosby, TE Giovanni Ricci, WR C.J. Saunders, TE Stephen Sullivan, DT Raequan Williams, WR Derek Wright
Chicago Bears
- TE Chase Allen, S Adrian Colbert, LB Kuony Deng, T Kellen Diesch, DE Gerri Green, TE Jake Tonges, WR Nsimba Webster
Cleveland Browns
- WR Daylen Baldwin, S Bubba Bolden, WR Mike Harley, LB Storey Jackson, DE Sam Kamara, RB John Kelly, TE Zaire Mitchell-Paden, DT Roderick Perry, WR Marquez Stevenson, T Tyrone Wheatley
Denver Broncos
- WR Victor Bolden, G Parker Ferguson, CB Faion Hicks, CB Delonte Hood, S Devon Key, RB Tyreik McAllister, OLB Wyatt Ray, OL Hunter Thedford, LB Ray Wilborn
Detroit Lions
- WR Maurice Alexander, WR Stanley Berryhill, T Obinna Eze, S Brady Breeze, CB Khalil Dorsey, RB Jermar Jefferson, WR Tom Kennedy, T Darrin Paulo, DT Demetrius Taylor, CB Jarren Williams
Indianapolis Colts
- DT McTelvin Agim, S Henry Black, S Marcel Dabo, S Trevor Denbow, G Arlington Hambright, T Jordan Murray, LB Segun Olubi, LB Forrest Rhyne, RB Aaron Shampklin, WR Vyncint Smith, CB David Vereen, TE Jalen Wydermyer
Kansas City Chiefs
- WR Ty Fryfogle
Las Vegas Raiders
- CB Isiah Brown, CB Bryce Cosby, P Julian Diaz, S Jalen Elliott, TE Cole Fotheringham, G Vitaliy Gurman, T Sebastian Gutierrez, WR Chris Lacy, LB Kana’i Mauga, G Jordan Meredith, WR DJ Turner, RB Austin Walter, WR Isaiah Zuber
Los Angeles Rams
- TE Roger Carter, DL T.J. Carter, CB T.J. Carter, S Richard LeCounte, T Max Pircher, WR Jaquarii Roberson, WR Jerreth Sterns, DE Brayden Thomas, DE Zach VanValkenburg
New Orleans Saints
- G Yasir Durant, DT Prince Emili, RB Derrick Gore, CB Vincent Gray, TE Lucas Krull, QB Jake Luton, LB Nephi Sewell, DE Jabari Zuniga
New York Jets
- OL Chris Glaser, CB Craig James, CB Jimmy Moreland, DL Marquiss Spencer, QB Chris Streveler, LB Chazz Surratt, WR Malik Taylor
Washington Commanders
- CB Troy Apke, DE William Bradley-King, WR Alex Erickson, CB DaMarcus Fields, QB Jake Fromm, G Nolan Laufenberg, WR Kyric McGowan, T Aaron Monteiro, G Keaton Sutherland
Falcons DC Dean Pees Retires
For the third time in his coaching career, Dean Pees has announced his retirement. The Falcons defensive coordinator is stepping away from the NFL after two seasons in Atlanta and 18 total years as a staffer in the professional ranks. 
Pees, 73, began his storied coaching career in college in 1979. In the decades to follow, he would go on to work on with seven different staffs, including the head coaching role at Kent State for six seasons. That led to his arrival in the NFL in 2004, as a linebackers coach with the Patriots It was under that title that he won his first Super Bowl. He became New England’s DC two seasons later, and remained with the franchise through 2009.
That stint was followed by a similar one (transitioning from LBs coach to DC) in Baltimore. Pees was in charge of the Ravens defense for six years, a span including the team’s Super Bowl campaign in 2012. He was expected to retire at the conclusion of the 2017 season (and, very briefly, did), with the Ravens ready to move on to Don Martindale as his replacement and Pees’ status as a highly successful coach secured.
Very shortly after that, however, Pees came back to serve as the Titans’ DC. He led Tennessee’s defense for two seasons, including a 2018 campaign which saw them rank amongst the league’s best in terms of both points and yards allowed. When he decided once again to step away from the game (this time for a full season), it was expected that he would end his career.
Instead, the Falcons – under new head coach and former Titans offensive coordinator Arthur Smith – were reported to be interested in luring him out of retirement, and they succeeded in doing so in January 2021. Pees oversaw Atlanta’s defense for the past two campaigns, one in which the team has struggled on both sides of the ball through their transition into a rebuilding phase. Last month, he suffered a health scare following a pregame collision which required a trip to the hospital, but he was able to return to his post the following week.
Overall, Pees now walks away after 14 years in charge of four teams’ defenses. D. Orlando Ledbetter of the Atlanta Journal-Constitution notes (on Twitter) that the Falcons will undergo a “wide search” for his replacement. Two candidates he names are LBs coach Frank Bush (who filled in for Pees in Week 15 following his hospitalization) and Packers defensive passing game coordinator Jerry Gray, who has eight years of DC experience dating back to his time with the Bills and Titans.
Updated 2023 NFL Draft Order
Some fireworks came in regarding the draft order on the NFL’s final regular-season day. The Bears upended the Texans for the No. 1 pick, reeling in a team that held that top slot for much of the season. The Bears last made a pick at No. 1 overall in 1947. Their former head coach — Lovie Smith, whom the Texans just fired — oversaw this final-day flip-flop. Clarity on the rest of the non-playoff-bound teams’ draft slots emerged as well.
The Jaguars’ rally to win the AFC South moves them into a postseason spot, and the Titans’ seven-game losing streak to end the season drops them to their highest selection since 2017. Tennessee’s next general manager will have the opportunity to make a pick at No. 11 or deal from that draft position, while Jacksonville will hold its lowest selection since 2018. The Texans will hold two top-12 picks in April, thanks to the Browns’ Week 18 loss to the Steelers, while the Lions will have two in the top 20 as well.
For non-playoff teams, the draft order will be determined by the inverted 2022 standings — plus a series of tiebreakers, starting with strength of schedule — with playoff squads being slotted by their postseason outcome and regular-season record. Here is how the draft order looks at the regular season’s close:
- Chicago Bears: 3-14
- Houston Texans: 3-13-1
- Arizona Cardinals: 4-13
- Indianapolis Colts: 4-12-1
- Seattle Seahawks (via Broncos)
- Detroit Lions (via Rams)
- Las Vegas Raiders: 6-11
- Atlanta Falcons: 7-10
- Carolina Panthers: 7-10
- Philadelphia Eagles (via Saints)
- Tennessee Titans: 7-10
- Houston Texans (via Browns)
- New York Jets: 7-10
- New England Patriots: 8-9
- Green Bay Packers: 8-9
- Washington Commanders: 8-8-1
- Pittsburgh Steelers: 9-8
- Detroit Lions: 9-8
- Tampa Bay Buccaneers: 8-9
- Seattle Seahawks: 9-8
- Jacksonville Jaguars: 9-8
- New York Giants: 9-7-1
- Baltimore Ravens: 10-7
- Los Angeles Chargers: 10-7
- Dallas Cowboys: 12-5
- Cincinnati Bengals: 12-4
- Minnesota Vikings: 13-4
- Denver Broncos (via 49ers)
- Buffalo Bills: 13-3
- Kansas City Chiefs: 14-3
- Philadelphia Eagles: 14-3
This year’s draft will feature a 31-pick first round. The Dolphins’ penalty for the Tom Brady–Sean Payton tampering scandal cost them their 2023 first-round choice
Minor NFL Transactions: 1/7/23
Today’s minor transactions heading into the final Sunday of the regular season:
Arizona Cardinals
- Signed to active roster: DL Eric Banks, RB Ty’Son Williams
- Promoted from practice squad: LS Hunter Bradley, S Josh Thomas
Atlanta Falcons
- Promoted from practice squad: WR Josh Ali
Baltimore Ravens
- Activated from IR: WR Tylan Wallace, CB Daryl Worley
- Promoted from practice squad: QB Brett Hundley, DT Rayshad Nichols
- Released: TE Nick Boyle, WR DeSean Jackson
Buffalo Bills
- Promoted from practice squad: WR John Brown
Carolina Panthers
- Signed to active roster: C Sam Tecklenburg, WR Preston Williams
- Promoted from practice squad: DT Phil Hoskins, CB Josh Norman
Chicago Bears
- Promoted from practice squad: S Adrian Colbert, CB Greg Stroman
Cincinnati Bengals
- Promoted from practice squad: QB Jake Browning
Cleveland Browns
- Promoted from practice squad: LB Storey Jackson, LB Sam Kamara
Denver Broncos
- Promoted from practice squad: OLB Wyatt Ray, LB Ray Wilborn
Detroit Lions
- Promoted from practice squad: RB Jermar Jefferson, CB Jarren Williams
Houston Texans
- Promoted from practice squad: WR Johnny Johnson III
Indianapolis Colts
- Promoted from practice squad: WR Keke Coutee, S Trevor Denbow
Jacksonville Jaguars
- Promoted from practice squad: OL Coy Cronk
Los Angeles Chargers
- Promoted from practice squad: DT David Moa, RB Larry Rountree
Miami Dolphins
- Promoted from practice squad: QB Mike Glennon, LB Brennan Scarlett
Minnesota Vikings
- Activated from IR: DL Jonathan Bullard, TE Irv Smith (story)
- Promoted from practice squad: LB Ryan Connelly, G Kyle Hinton
New England Patriots
- Promoted from practice squad: LB Calvin Munson, TE Matt Sokol
New York Giants
- Promoted from practice squad: DT Jack Heflin, QB Davis Webb
New York Jets
- Signed to active roster: DE Bradlee Anae, WR Irvin Charles, OL Adam Pankey, S Will Parks, OL Eric Smith
- Placed on IR: OL Duane Brown, CB Brandin Echols, OL George Fant, OL Nate Herbig, S Lamarcus Joyner
Pittsburgh Steelers
- Promoted from practice squad: DL Renell Wren
San Francisco 49ers
- Activated from IR: RB Elijah Mitchell (story)
- Promoted from practice squad: DL Michael Dwumfour, CB Janoris Jenkins
Seattle Seahawks
- Signed to active roster: LB Josh Onujiogu
- Promoted from practice squad: LB Alexander Johnson, WR Cade Johnson
- Placed on IR: RB Travis Homer
Tampa Bay Buccaneers
- Promoted from practice squad: OLB Ifeadi Odenigbo, T Justin Skule
Updated 2023 NFL Draft Order
As the NFL determines how it will proceed with the postponed Bills-Bengals game, Week 18 is on as scheduled. The No. 1 overall pick remains in doubt, and seven teams enter the final week either 6-10 or 7-9. Several games will impact how the top 10 shakes out.
Having lost nine straight, the Bears (3-13) are a half-game behind the Texans (2-13-1) for the No. 1 overall pick. Houston last held that draft slot in 2014, while Chicago has not picked first since 1947. The Texans are also playing a Colts team they tied in Week 1; Indianapolis enters Week 18 on a six-game skid. Conversely, the Bears face a Vikings squad that still has a path to the NFC’s No. 2 seed.
Week 17 also brought clarity on the NFC South. Although the Buccaneers have disappointed, their comeback win over the Panthers secured the franchise’s third straight playoff berth. That will mean Tampa Bay’s pick will check in no higher than 18th overall, while the Carolina and New Orleans slots could land in the top 10. The loser of Saturday’s Jaguars-Titans game would also see their draft slot rise several positions. Four of the five traded picks remain in the top 12, with the Seahawks’ spot (via the Broncos) still slotting highest — behind only the Texans and Bears’ positions.
For non-playoff teams, the draft order will be determined by the inverted 2022 standings — plus a series of tiebreakers, starting with strength of schedule — with playoff squads being slotted by their postseason outcome and regular-season record. Here is how the draft order looks entering Week 18:
- Houston Texans: 2-13-1
- Chicago Bears: 3-13
- Seattle Seahawks (via Broncos)
- Arizona Cardinals: 4-12
- Indianapolis Colts: 4-11-1
- Detroit Lions (via Rams)
- Atlanta Falcons: 6-10
- Las Vegas Raiders: 6-10
- Carolina Panthers: 6-10
- Philadelphia Eagles (via Saints)
- Tennessee Titans: 7-9
- Houston Texans (via Browns)
- New York Jets: 7-9
- Washington Commanders: 7-8-1
- Pittsburgh Steelers: 8-8
- Green Bay Packers: 8-8
- Detroit Lions: 8-8
- Seattle Seahawks: 8-8
- Jacksonville Jaguars: 8-8
- Tampa Bay Buccaneers: 8-8
- New England Patriots: 8-8
- New York Giants: 9-6-1
- Baltimore Ravens: 10-6
- Los Angeles Chargers: 10-6
- Cincinnati Bengals: 11-4
- Minnesota Vikings: 12-4
- Dallas Cowboys: 12-4
- Denver Broncos (via 49ers)
- Buffalo Bills: 12-3
- Kansas City Chiefs: 13-3
- Philadelphia Eagles: 13-3