PHILADELPHIA -- Washington Commanders linebacker Frankie Luvu was determined to stop the tush push. The officials just wanted him to wait for the snap of the ball to do so.

In Washington's 55-23 loss to the Philadelphia Eagles in the NFC Championship Game on Sunday, Luvu had a moment that officials deemed unnecessary -- and teammates called symbolic of their overall mindset.

Luvu was flagged for diving over the line of scrimmage while the Eagles lined up in their tush push formation at the 2-yard line. And then he was flagged again for doing the same thing -- prompting referee Shawn Hochuli to announce, "Washington has been advised that at some point the referee can award a score if this type of behavior happens again."

According to the NFL rule book, Hochuli can do just that. The rule states that a player "shall not interfere with play by any act which is palpably unfair." The rule says that an offender could be disqualified and officials may award a score.

"Simply put, a team can't commit multiple fouls in an effort to prevent the score," Hochuli told a pool reporter after the game. "If it's meant to prevent a score, we can essentially award the score."

Both times Luvu dove over the pile and landed on the Eagles' linemen as well as quarterback Jalen Hurts. But, for Luvu, all that mattered was his team trailed 34-23 with 12 minutes, 58 seconds left in the game and needed a stop.

The Eagles were aligned in their tight formation with tight end Dallas Goedert and running back Saquon Barkley lined up directly behind Hurts.

"I was just timing the jump over," Luvu said. "They've been doing a lot in short yardage and I was going to take my shot. That's the mindset I came in with. Take my shot; if I make it, I make it, if not, I bounce back. The third time they told me I get a 15-yard penalty for unsportsmanlike conduct. I didn't know what that was about. I guess they wanted them to score. So, I stopped from there and that's how it played out."

Commanders linebacker Bobby Wagner spoke to the officials to let them know that wasn't the only penalty on the play.

"I was trying to inform them they were lined up offsides," Wagner said. "I didn't know they could just award a touchdown."

After Luvu was flagged twice, defensive lineman Jonathan Allen jumped early when Hurts used a hard count. That moved the ball even closer to the goal line and then on the next play, Hurts scored.

"On that play, as a defense that showed a little bit of the fight," defensive end Clelin Ferrell said. "We don't care in that moment. We're going to play with our hair on fire to the end. That's what you look for, that tells the character of your team -- 1-yard line and guys are still fighting."

That fight helped define the Commanders this season, one in which they weren't predicted to be a factor in the NFC. Yet, they won 12 games in coach Dan Quinn's first season and with a rookie quarterback in Jayden Daniels.

But, Sunday, they could not overcome four turnovers that led to 28 points by Philadelphia. Washington had been plus-6 in turnover margin in the first two postseason games; the Commanders were minus-4 on Sunday.

The last turnover occurred with Washington at its own 49-yard line early in the fourth quarter and trailing by 11. That led to the tush push sequence and the Commanders never threatened again.

Perhaps the toughest one took place late in the first half when Jeremy McNichols fumbled a kickoff after an Eagles touchdown. Philadelphia capitalized with another touchdown and took a 27-15 halftime lead.

"They thrive off turnovers and we didn't take care of it good enough," Washington receiver Terry McLaurin said. "Credit to them. It's hard to win games when you turn the ball over."

The Commanders, notably Quinn and Wagner, were not ready to reflect on the season. Quinn had been adamant all season about not looking ahead and that included any thoughts on what this season meant.

"Too early for me," he said. "What I can say is no locker room is the same year to year and I wanted to make sure they spent that time together because they've created something that's very cool here. It's going to pay off for years to come."

Washington's story is well-known by this point: The Commanders were 4-13 a year ago but hired general manager Adam Peters and Quinn and drafted Daniels. Each of those moves helped pave the way for a remarkable turnaround. They finished the regular season 12-5 -- the organization's most wins since 1991. That's also the same season in which they last played in the championship game.

There were long embraces by players; safety Jeremy Chinn sat at his locker and wiped away tears. It was a season they didn't want to end. Tight end Zach Ertz, who was playing in his third championship game in 12 seasons, said he knows how hard it is to reach this point. His one regret: the timing of his career and Daniels.

"Playing with Jayden, I wish I was 22 and playing with him and had my whole career ahead of me with him," Ertz said.

Meanwhile, Daniels was upset over his first playoff loss.

"It sucks man, it just sucks," said Daniels, the favorite to be named NFL offensive rookie of the year. "We all meshed. We lost, it sucks but we'll move on from this.

"I don't want to have a feeling like this again."

After a quiet first week of WNBA free agency, the first domino of player movement has fallen -- and it's a massive one.

In a blockbuster three-team trade, the Las Vegas Aces are acquiring Seattle Storm guard Jewell Loyd while sending Aces guard Kelsey Plum to the Los Angeles Sparks, sources told ESPN on Sunday, creating the first trade in league history involving multiple No. 1 overall picks.

The Storm are also acquiring the No. 2 pick in the 2025 WNBA draft and forward Li Yueru from the Sparks, as well as Las Vegas' 2026 first-round pick, sources told ESPN. Los Angeles receives the 2025 No. 9 pick and a 2026 second-round pick from Seattle. The Aces will get the 2025 No. 13 overall pick from the Sparks.

Since the deal involves a sign-and-trade for Plum, it can't be made official until Feb. 1.

Plum entered the offseason as a free agent, an indication that her time in Las Vegas -- as part of the championship-winning core alongside A'ja Wilson, Jackie Young and Chelsea Gray -- might be coming to an end.

By being cored by the organization, Plum's only way of changing teams was to get traded, but she had to sign off on her final destination. She joins L.A on a one-year deal hoping to be a Spark beyond 2025, sources told ESPN.

The vast majority of WNBA players -- including Plum and Loyd -- are anticipated to become free agents in 2026, ahead of the implementation of a new collective bargaining agreement that's expected to feature significant salary increases.

Loyd, meanwhile, still had one year left on her contract with the Storm, but news of her trade request came out after her allegations of harassment and bullying against the Storm coaching staff. That prompted an external investigation that concluded without finding any violations.

Plum and Loyd, both shooting guards, share similar trajectories as pros. They were both No. 1 overall picks -- Loyd in 2015 to Seattle; Plum in 2017 to San Antonio, which relocated to Las Vegas one year later. They both emerged as all-WNBA talent and perennial All-Stars, each winning a pair of championships with their respective franchises. They established their value on the international stage as Olympic gold medalists in Tokyo, where Loyd played 5-on-5 and Plum 3x3, and in Paris, where they were teammates as Team USA won an eighth-consecutive gold medal.

And they'd both spent their entire WNBA careers playing for the franchises that selected them -- until now.

Plum, who until last year held the NCAA women's basketball scoring record, joins a Los Angeles organization that hired a new coach this offseason in Lynne Roberts and is building around 2024 lottery picks Cameron Brink and Rickea Jackson, plus veterans Dearica Hamby and Azura Stevens. With a star of Plum's caliber in tow, the Sparks, historically one of the league's most iconic franchises, look well-positioned to return to the playoffs for the first time since 2020.

Loyd's arrival in Las Vegas will automatically help the Aces, who fell short of their three-peat bid last season, aim for their third championship in four years. A six-time All-Star and the WNBA scoring leader in 2023, Loyd will bring an additional perimeter scoring threat to a team already featuring three-time MVP Wilson, three-time All-Star Young and 2022 Finals MVP Gray.

Coming off a disappointing first-round postseason exit, the Storm move up in the draft and, picking second overall, could have the chance to select a player such as Notre Dame's Olivia Miles or USC's Kiki Iriafen. Seattle still has Skylar Diggins-Smith under contract, cored Gabby Williams earlier this month and will look to re-sign unrestricted free agent Nneka Ogwumike.

Sources told ESPN the Sparks were ultimately uncertain about who would even be available to be drafted No. 2 overall, which combined with the hope of bringing Plum in for multiple years, made it palatable to give up the lottery pick. Miles and Paige Bueckers, the presumptive No. 1 overall pick, are both considered top prospects, but both maintain their college eligibility for the 2025-26 season.

ESPN's Shams Charania, Ramona Shelburne and Kendra Andrews contributed to this report.

PHILADELPHIA -- Eagles quarterback Jalen Hurts lit it up through the air and on the ground in Sunday's NFC Championship Game win over the Washington Commanders, totaling 262 yards and four touchdowns to lead Philadelphia to a 55-23 victory and into Super Bowl LIX.

Hurts quipped afterward that coach Nick Sirianni "let me out of my straitjacket a little bit today."

With a dominant run game led by MVP candidate Saquon Barkley, the Eagles have largely leaned conservative when it comes to the passing attack. Hurts' 246 yards through the air against Washington marked just the second time in the past eight games he hit the 200-yard mark passing.

"It's not about me. I don't play the game for any statistical measure," Hurts said. "You play the game to win. I play the game to win."

Barkley continued his remarkable season. He broke off a 60-yard touchdown run on the Eagles' first offensive play and finished with 118 yards on 15 carries with three touchdowns.

Hurts costarred. He ended 22-of-28 with one touchdown pass and no interceptions for a quarterback rating of 110.1 and ran for three scores. Hurts and Barkley became the first teammates to have at least three rushing touchdowns in a playoff game in NFL history.

The formula for much of the season has been to lean on Barkley and the No. 1 defense in football and to limit turnovers. Hurts has been instrumental in handling that last order of business. He was second in the NFC through four weeks with seven giveaways but has had only three since then, helping the Eagles bounce back from a 2-2 start to finish the regular season 14-3.

The Eagles won the turnover battle 4-0 against Washington and have 10 takeaways and zero giveaways through three games this postseason.

"I don't want anybody else leading this team at quarterback other than him," Sirianni said of Hurts. "He's a winner."

There were questions about Hurts' health entering the game after he suffered a knee injury against the Los Angeles Rams in the divisional round. Hurts said this week of prep was "challenging" and "in some ways exhausting" as he revealed he was also dealing with an illness in the leadup to the Washington game.

But he looked unimpeded against the Commanders, helping to fuel a convincing win that has Hurts and the Eagles in the Super Bowl for the second time in three seasons.

"In a sense, I think this game chose me and this position chose me," Hurts said, when asked about handling a reduced role as a passer for much of the season. "To be able to come this far and have these opportunities in front us, you just want to take advantage of them.

"But I've never been motivated by achieving the personal things, personal goals. All of those things come when you put the work in, have the right mentality and embrace what the group's mission is. And the mission is to win."

KANSAS CITY, Mo. -- Patrick Mahomes threw for 245 yards and a touchdown, ran through Buffalo's defense for two more scores and relied on his defense at key moments to help the Kansas City Chiefs beat the Bills 32-29 on Sunday night and reach the Super Bowl for the third consecutive season.

Now, the AFC champions will try to do something no other NFL team has done: Win all three.

The Chiefs will get a familiar foe in the Eagles, whom they beat two years ago for the first NFL title in this run. Philadelphia romped to a 55-23 victory over the Washington Commanders earlier Sunday to earn a shot at the defending champs on Feb. 9 in New Orleans.

It's the fourth time since January 2021 that the Chiefs have ended the Bills' season in the playoffs. And like all the rest, it came after a heavyweight fight between two of the top teams in the AFC, one that was tied 29-all after Buffalo quarterback Josh Allen found Curtis Samuel in the back of the end zone with 6:15 remaining to set up a little more drama at Arrowhead Stadium.

Mahomes was simply unflappable, though. He completed four consecutive passes on the ensuing possession, setting up Harrison Butker's go-ahead field goal with 3:33 left and putting the Bills in another do-or-die situation in Kansas City.

Allen got their drive going by running for a first down, but his next two throws were batted at the line of scrimmage and fell incomplete. He hit wide receiver Amari Cooper for a short gain on third down, and the Bills chose to go for it -- they were 4-of-5 on fourth down at that point -- and Kansas City's blitz forced Allen to loft up a prayer that tight end Dalton Kincaid could not catch.

The Chiefs took over, picked up a couple of first downs and began to celebrate once again.

Kareem Hunt had a touchdown run, and Xavier Worthy tallied six catches for 85 yards and a score for Kansas City, which became the fourth franchise to reach three consecutive Super Bowls with its ninth consecutive playoff victory.

Allen threw for 237 yards and two scores for Buffalo. James Cook ran for 85 yards and two touchdowns of his own.

The Bills still have not been to the Super Bowl since a run of four straight during the 1990-93 campaigns.

The Bills and Chiefs have become well acquainted over the years, meeting seven times since Kansas City beat Buffalo under the exact same circumstances -- the AFC Championship Game at Arrowhead Stadium -- to reach the Super Bowl in January 2021.

Buffalo had won all four games in the regular season. Kansas City had won the three that mattered in the postseason.

And that familiarity, along with the fact that Bills coach Sean McDermott once worked for Chiefs counterpart Andy Reid, was evident as the game transpired. The Bills simply refused to let Chiefs tight end Travis Kelce beat them, like he did against the Houston Texans in the divisional round, while Kansas City was prepared for Allen's propensity to take off and run.

It was the Chiefs who took a 21-16 lead into the locker room after a topsy-turvy first half.

Mahomes and Hunt ran for scores and Worthy had a touchdown reception as the teams traded the lead. Cook reached the end zone for Buffalo, and a spectacular touchdown catch by Mack Hollins just before halftime kept the Bills in the game.

It remained a game of inches in the second half: Cook barely reached across the goal line for a touchdown, the Chiefs stopped Allen just shy of the marker on fourth down, Mahomes bulldozed into the end zone for a score and the Bills answered with a 70-yard drive in which their MVP-candidate quarterback hit Samuel on fourth-and-goal to tie the game at 29.

Fifty-three minutes and 45 seconds had been rendered moot. Everything came down to the last 6:15 of the game.

KANSAS CITY, Mo. -- The Kansas City Chiefs' drive for an NFL three-peat is alive.

They survived a classic AFC Championship Game against the Buffalo Bills on Sunday, scoring the winning points on Harrison Butker's 35-yard field goal with 3:33 remaining for a 32-29 victory.

The Chiefs led 21-10 late in the first half only to fall behind 22-21 by the end of the third quarter. They scored 11 points in the fourth to claim the victory. Kansas City stopped the Bills on fourth down near midfield following Butker's kick. The win was the Chiefs' 17th straight in games decided by one score, an NFL record.

The Chiefs, who have been five of the past six Super Bowls, will continue their bid to become the first team to win three consecutive championships in the Super Bowl era in Super Bowl LIX in two weeks against the Philadelphia Eagles in New Orleans.

Here are the keys to know from the AFC Championship Game:

Kansas City Chiefs (17-2, including playoffs)

Describe the game in two words: Late rally. The Chiefs trailed heading into the fourth quarter but stopped the Bills on fourth down at midfield and went on to score a touchdown that gave them a 29-22 lead. The Bills subsequently tied the game before Butker's field goal lifted Kansas City to the victory.

QB breakdown: Patrick Mahomes had one of his better games of the season. He mostly threw quick passes, going 18 for 26 for 245 yards and a touchdown, and was much sharper than in the divisional round victory over the Houston Texans. Mahomes also was productive as a runner, registering 43 yards and two touchdowns. The Bills had been effective in eliminating Mahomes as a runner when the teams met in in Week 11, holding him without a carry. But Mahomes' rushing was a big factor in this contest. He not only scored twice, but he converted on fourth-down carry in the second quarter that kept alive a drive that culminated in the Kansas City's second touchdown.

Most surprising performance: A week after his big divisional game against the Texans, tight end Travis Kelce had two catches for 19 yards. But the Chiefs got significant contributions from their wide receivers, unlike last week. Xavier Worthy scored a touchdown, Justin Watson had a catch on a 2-point conversion and Hollywood Brown and JuJu Smith-Schuster combined for five receptions and 95 yards. -- Teicher

Next game: Super Bowl LIX, Feb. 9 vs. Eagles, New Orleans, 6:30 p.m. ET (Fox)

Buffalo Bills (15-5)

Yet again, the Bills' Super Bowl dreams were dashed by the Chiefs and Patrick Mahomes.

A season that surpassed expectations and reached new heights had the same familiar ending. A sloppy first half set up a tight fourth quarter, and Buffalo's efforts weren't enough.

The Bills' offense had an opportunity to put together a winning drive in the fourth quarter but seemed unprepared for a blitz on fourth-and-5 with two minutes remaining in the game. Tight end Dalton Kincaid did not come down with a late heave from quarterback Josh Allen.

The Bills have now lost all four postseason meetings against the Mahomes-led Chiefs team since 2020 and have dropped eight straight road playoff games. Allen-led Bills teams are 0-2 in the AFC Championship Game.

The Bills tied the game at 29. But ultimately, the defense was unable to get off the field or limit Mahomes when it needed to. A short-handed secondary -- with starting cornerback Christian Benford leaving in the first quarter due to a concussion and safety Taylor Rapp not playing (hip/back) -- didn't not help.

Allen finished the best season of his career with a mixed performance, completing 22 of 34 passes for 237 yards and two touchdowns. He also had 11 rushes for 39 yards.

Describe the game in two words: Postseason kryptonite. The Bills' playoff woes against the Chiefs crept up yet again, and Buffalo will go into the offseason with new questions about what this team needs to do to get past Kansas City in the postseason.

Biggest hole in game plan: Not establishing the run with James Cook early. The Bills' rushing attack was key to getting them to the conference title game, but it was not an integral part of the offense in the first half. That didn't help keep the ball away from Mahomes and limited the offense. Buffalo offensive coordinator Joe Brady called 11 designed runs in the first half (four by Cook), the same amount the Bills had during the first drive of the second half. Cook had success once he got going, rushing for 85 yards and two touchdowns on 13 carries.

Troubling trend: Sloppy performance. The offensive unit had six plays that could have been turnovers, with a fumble by running back Ray Davis that he recovered, three fumbles by Allen that he recovered and two near interceptions. The typically dependable Allen tush push play (with a 27-of-30 first-down conversion rate coming into the game) was inconsistent. The Bills' special teams allowed a 41-yard punt return that set up an eventual Chiefs touchdown, and Buffalo's defense struggled to get off the field, not forcing a punt until the second half. -- Getzenberg

Defenseman Alex Pietrangelo has withdrawn from the 4 Nations Face-Off due to an undisclosed injury and to prepare for the rest of the NHL season with the Vegas Golden Knights, the club announced in a statement Sunday.

Pietrangelo was selected to represent Canada when 4 Nations Face-Off rosters were finalized in December. He is the first player to withdraw from the event.

Pietrangelo, a 35-year-old blueliner, was sidelined for three games earlier this season due to an upper-body injury. Pietrangelo has been productive in the Golden Knights' backend, collecting three goals and 25 points while averaging a team-high 22:41 of ice time.

Now that Pietrangelo is unavailable, Canada general manager Don Sweeney will look at several intriguing options to fill the void. One front-runner could be Edmonton Oilers defenseman Evan Bouchard, a top-pairing skater who averaged a point per game last season in Edmonton and was considered a surprise snub when the 4 Nations Face-Off rosters were announced.

Drew Doughty -- a two-time Olympic gold medalist with Canada -- could be in the mix if he's recovered from a broken left ankle suffered in the preseason. Doughty has yet to appear in a regular-season game for the Los Angeles Kings but has been practicing recently.

The 4 Nations Face-Off features teams from Canada, the United States, Sweden and Finland. It runs from Feb. 12 to Feb. 20, with games split between Bell Centre in Montreal and TD Garden in Boston.

Barcelona coach Hansi Flick praised his team's hunger for goals as they routed Valencia 7-1 in LaLiga on Sunday.

Fermín López scored twice, with Frenkie de Jong, Raphinha, Ferran Torres and Robert Lewandowski also on target as Barça bought up 101 goals in all competitions this season.

It was the second time Barça have scored seven in a single game under Flick, while they have now scored four or more times in 14 of their 32 matches in this campaign.

"I love this hunger the team has, that shows in the matches, especially today," Flick said in his post-game news conference.

"It's not finished with the 2-0 or the 3-0. They go to the end of the match. This is what I love and what we like to play. It's good to see this."

Barça blew Valencia away with five goals in the first half. De Jong, Torres and Raphinha all scored inside 15 minutes, with López adding two more before the break.

Hugo Duro pulled one back for Valencia, but Lewandowski restored Barça's five goal advantage and a César Tárrega own goal completed the hammering.

The win moves Barça within three points of second placed Atlético Madrid, but they are still seven adrift of leaders Real Madrid.

"We said before the match, now we want to start because LaLiga is not nice to see at the moment," Flick added of Barça's standing in the table.

"Now we start. We have a good start today and we want to follow that next Sunday, in the next league match at home.

"We have to play like this and then I think everyone is happy, the fans, the club, the players and the coaches."

With Pedri and Dani Olmo missing through injury, Flick took the chance to give minutes to fringe players.

He praised those that came in and performed, such as López and De Jong, but also highlighted the camaraderie among the squad via a gesture from midfielder Gavi, who remained on the bench.

"The situation I'm most impressed with is when I spoke with Gavi," he said. "Normally I bring him on with 15 minutes to go and he said no, bring Pablo Torre in.

"You can see the team how they are connected. It's fantastic to see as a coach. I love Gavi for this. You know he wants to play every match and to say this in this situation, it's top."

Flick also appeared to suggest Wojciech Szczęsny will remain as first choice goalkeeper for the immediate future, ahead of Iñaki Peña, after handing him his LaLiga debut against Valencia.

Barça are next in action on Wednesday when they host Atalanta in their final Champions League group phase game having already booked their place in the last 16.

Brazil superstar Neymar is closing in on a return to former club Santos, sources have told ESPN.

Neymar currently remains on the books of Saudi Arabian club Al Hilal, but the team's manager Jorge Jesus said earlier in January that the Brazilian attacker can "no longer play at the level we are used to," and as a result wasn't registered to play in the Saudi Pro League, leaving Neymar eligible to play only in the Asian Champions League.

As a consequence, Neymar has been looking for his next playing opportunity, and appears to have found it with the club at which he began his professional career.

Sources tell ESPN that the player's contract with Al Hilal is heading towards being terminated, but the final details still need to be agreed. The two sides are expected to meet early this week with the hope of reaching a conclusion. If that occurs, Neymar is set to sign a six-month contract with Santos, with an option for it to be extended by an additional year.

If the deal with Santos is completed, Neymar is set to travel to Brazil some time this week, and could feature for Santos as soon as Feb. 5.

By terminating his contract with Al Hilal, which ran through this summer, Neymar would leave about $65 million on the table. Sources have told ESPN he could make up at least some of the shortfall by having himself and his father, Neymar Santos Sr., become part of an investment fund that includes shares in Santos.

However, ESPN Brazil is reporting that Neymar is still determined to recoup the money he feels Al Hilal owes him and that any deal involving shares in Santos would be extremely difficult to pull off in the short term.

So, while the framework for a return to Santos is in place in principle, there are still sticking points that could derail it.

If the final details of a return to Santos are indeed completed, it will conclude a transfer saga that at one point included the possibility of Neymar heading to MLS side Chicago Fire FC. However, Neymar's preference was to head back to Brazil to regain his form and possibility reclaim his place with the national team, and a reunion with his boyhood club looks set to take place.

Neymar, 32, endured a difficult spell with Al Hilal after joining the Saudi Arabian club from Paris Saint-Germain in the summer of 2023 for a fee of $97.6 million.

The former Barcelona star suffered a torn anterior cruciate ligament in his left knee while on international duty shortly after joining Al Hilal. He made his return to the field last October, but a subsequent hamstring injury kept him from making more of a contribution. All told he made just seven league and cup appearances with just one goal scored in an AFC Champions League group stage match against Nassaji Mazandaran on Oct. 3, 2023.

Despite his struggles in Saudi Arabia, Neymar remains one of the biggest names in the sport thanks to his exploits alongside Lionel Messi and Luis Suárez while with Barcelona from 2013-17. In that time, he was part of sides that won a UEFA Champions League crown, two LaLiga titles, and three Copa del Reys.

He later moved to PSG in 2017 and won five Ligue 1 titles, three Coupe de Frances and two Coupe de la Ligues.

Neymar began his professional career with Santos in 2009, leading them to a Copa Libertadores triumph in 2011 in which he scored in the second leg of the final, a 2-1 win over Peñarol.

At international level, Neymar has appeared 128 times for Brazil, scoring a Selecao record 79 goals. He was part of the Brazil side that won the gold medal at the 2016 Summer Olympics, which Brazil hosted.

Information from Julien Laurens and ESPN Brazil was used in this story.

SEATTLE -- The Seattle Seahawks on Sunday hired former New Orleans Saints offensive coordinator Klint Kubiak to the same position.

The son of former NFL quarterback and head coach Gary Kubiak, Klint Kubiak, 37, has two previous OC stints on his resume, having held that role with the Minnesota Vikings in 2021 and the Saints this past season.

Seahawks coach Mike Macdonald conducted a meticulous search, taking nearly three weeks to replace Ryan Grubb, who was fired after one season. They had second, in-person interviews with at least two other candidates -- Detroit Lions offensive line coach Hank Fraley and Vikings assistant OC/assistant quarterbacks coach Grant Udinski.

The Seahawks are banking on Kubiak's strong reputation and philosophical alignment with Macdonald more than his recent resume.

The Saints' offense in 2024 ranked 24th in scoring (19.4 points per game) and 21st in yards (320.1) as injuries sidelined several key players, with quarterback Derek Carr (seven games), wide receivers Chris Olave (nine) and Rashid Shaheed (11), center Erik McCoy (10) and tight end Taysom Hill (nine) all missing extended action.

The Vikings' offense in 2021 ranked 14th in scoring (23.4 ppg) and 12th in yards (362.8).

Grubb was fired in large part because the Seahawks did not run the ball as often or as well as Macdonald preferred. Neither the '21 Vikings (17th) nor the '24 Saints (14th) had top-10 rushing offenses, though Minnesota was 11th in designed rush rate under Kubiak while New Orleans was 14th.

Kubiak also called plays for the Denver Broncos in the second half of the 2022 season after head coach Nathaniel Hackett relinquished those duties.

Kubiak moved on after one season in each of his previous OC stints in the wake of head-coaching changes. He landed in Denver in 2022 as the Broncos' passing game coordinator and quarterbacks coach, then spent 2023 with the San Francisco 49ers as their pass game coordinator.

In picking Kubiak, Macdonald didn't stick to his roots and pluck from the Harbaugh tree, but he did hire someone from another well-known coaching family.

As a player, Gary Kubiak backed up John Elway in Denver. He then coached the Broncos to a victory in Super Bowl 50 before serving as the Houston Texans' head coach. Klint Kubiak's younger brother Klay was recently promoted by Kyle Shanahan to offensive coordinator in San Francisco, meaning the two siblings will now match wits in the NFC West.

Unlike Klay, Klint Kubiak will be calling plays in Seattle. He takes over an offense that finished 21st in scoring (20.0) and 14th in yards (332.2) last season while relying too much on quarterback Geno Smith in the absence of a consistent run game. In firing Grubb, Macdonald cited a lack of alignment on how they wanted the offense to operate, with much of the disconnect centered around the run game.

In addition to Kubiak, Fraley and Udinski, the Seahawks reportedly interviewed former NFL quarterback and OC Byron Leftwich as well as former Chicago Bears interim head coach Thomas Brown. Their list of interviews included more names than was reported, sources told ESPN.

With their coordinator in place, the next big question for the Seahawks' offense is the future of Smith. The 34-year-old quarterback is seeking an extension as he enters the final year of his contract, and it's not a given that the two sides will be able to agree to one.

PHILADELPHIA -- Saquon Barkley dashed 60 yards for a touchdown on Philadelphia's first play and finished with 118 yards and three scores, Jalen Hurts rushed for three TDs and the Eagles soared into the Super Bowl with a 55-23 win over the Washington Commanders on Sunday.

Hurts and the Eagles are in the Super Bowl for the second time in three seasons, and this time Barkley is along for the ride. Philadelphia will play either the Buffalo Bills or former Eagles coach Andy Reid's Kansas City Chiefs.

Hurts, wearing a brace on his left knee, also threw for 246 yards and a touchdown pass, and the Eagles had a towel-waving crowd in a frenzy for the NFC Championship Game at Lincoln Financial Field.

A.J. Brown caught six passes for 96 yards and a touchdown, and the Eagles scored a season high in points to usher the franchise into its fifth Super Bowl.

The Commanders played a role in getting the NFC title game to Philly with two straight road wins -- including last week's stunner at the No. 1 seed Detroit Lions that set the stage for the second-seeded Eagles to host.

Jayden Daniels threw for 255 yards with one touchdown and one interception, falling short in his bid to become the first rookie quarterback to lead his team to the Super Bowl. The Commanders were doomed by four turnovers, including a lost fumble by Austin Ekeler in the third quarter with Washington down 34-23.

The Eagles won their only Super Bowl in the 2017 season and Nick Foles, the quarterback in that game against the New England Patriots, was the honorary captain Sunday.

The stadium cut to other stars from that game in attendance on the big screen and now, two years after coach Nick Sirianni's Eagles lost to the Chiefs in the Super Bowl, the franchise has a chance at winning its second one.

Much as he has all season, Barkley led the way for the Eagles.

After the Commanders opened the game with an 18-play drive and a field goal that quieted a raucous crowd, Barkley whipped the fans that included actor Bradley Cooper into a frenzy on the Eagles' first offensive play from scrimmage. Only the ninth running back to rush for 2,000 yards in a season, Barkley took the pitch from Hurts and cut left, spun around a pair of defenders and took off on the touchdown run.

The Eagles recovered a fumble on the next drive and Barkley added a 4-yard run -- making him 2-for-2 on carries and touchdowns -- for a 14-3 lead.

Including the playoffs, Barkley extended an NFL record Sunday with his seventh rushing touchdown of 60-plus yards in a season.

Daniels, who led the Commanders to six consecutive victories, made his share of big plays, including a 36-yard touchdown pass to Terry McLaurin that pulled Washington to a 14-12 deficit.

Hurts, who hurt the knee when he was sacked last week by the Los Angeles Rams, had his best game yet in a postseason where the Eagles played all three games at home. He closed the first half with a tush push 1-yard touchdown and threw a 4-yard scoring pass to Brown to send the Eagles into halftime with a 27-15 lead.

Hurts secured the Super Bowl berth with a tush push touchdown in the fourth quarter -- after a humorous moment when an official said he'd award the Eagles a TD if Washington didn't stop jumping offside -- and his ninth career postseason rushing score gave Philadelphia a 41-23 lead.

Small amounts of green confetti started to fly from the upper deck at that point at the countdown was officially on for the Super Bowl.

The Commanders' desperate gasp at another late comeback win ended with a thud when Nolan Smith sacked Daniels on fourth down in the fourth quarter. Will Shipley gave Barkley a needed breather in the blowout and punched in a 2-yard touchdown run for a 55-23 lead. The "E-A-G-L-E-S! Eagles!" chants began in earnest and it's sure to ring loud in New Orleans.