Another European soccer weekend is in the books, and as always, we have plenty to unpack. Manchester United turned in another brutal home performance in defeat to Brighton, a result that prompted Ruben Amorim to take the criticism for a team whose problems run much deeper. Did he really need to do that? Meanwhile, in Serie A, Antonio Conte shrugged off the January exit of Khvicha Kvaratskhelia as Napoli wrapped up an impressive win over Atalanta that has them in pole position to win another league title.

Elsewhere, Tottenham's injury crisis wasn't helped by some baffling tactical choices by the under-fire Ange Postecoglou, and Barcelona's LaLiga slump continued with a tough draw at Getafe that means they need to be perfect from here if they're to remain in the title race. Oh, and we've got plenty to talk about when it comes to Darwin Núñez, Arsenal, Juventus vs. Milan, Bayern Munich, Bayer Leverkusen and Phil Foden, to name just a few.

Let's get to it. Here are musings and reactions to the most memorable moments of the weekend.

Ruben Amorim holds himself accountable ... but did anyone ask him to?

Sunday's 3-1 home defeat to Brighton was pretty brutal for Manchester United. Take away Bruno Fernandes' penalty and the xG was 0.69 (to Brighton's 1.93) with zero shots on target.

But guess what? So was their previous outing, Thursday night's 3-1 win over Southampton, a game they were losing until Amad Diallo's hat-trick beginning in the 37th minute of the second half. If you grade on a curve -- based on the fact that Brighton are battling for Europe, while Southampton are on pace to have the fewest points of any team in Premier League history -- that one was just as bad.

I get that, but I'm not sure it was necessary for Amorim to go all doom-and-gloom after the Brighton match, saying his was "maybe the worst team in the history of the club," that they "need to survive" and that he's "not helping [his] players in the moment."

It's not because they are nowhere near the worst team in United history -- that would be the 1933-34 team, who avoided relegation to the third flight on the last day of the season. Rather, it's because nobody is calling for his head right now, nobody is accusing him of scapegoating others, and nobody think he's deluded. United fans -- and neutrals who frankly miss them as a serious club -- simply want him to keep working and see if he can turn the club around.

Lack of accountability is a thing, sure, but not with Amorim. However, too much accountability isn't a great thing.

Most observers understand that Amorim had three things to do when he took over: assess the players and figure out who may need to be replaced, teach them his brand of football (and they obviously have a ways to go in that department), and move the club up the table so they can get the revenue they'll need to strengthen in the summer (he's not getting it done in this department).

But nobody is calling for his head. Nobody is blaming him -- not yet, anyway, and given how long the club put up with Erik Ten Hag and Ole Gunnar Solskjaer (and given how expensive it is to fire someone) that won't happen for a while. All he has to do is say, "Yes, we all need to do a better job, but we'll get there."

What seems evident is that, individual errors aside, United have started to metabolize some of his defensive mechanisms, though their use of the ball and patterns of play in possession leave a lot to be desired. That's why, incidentally, they've looked better against better sides like Liverpool or Arsenal, especially on the road, than they have at home, where they've had to try to take the initiative. We can debate whether he has the players to do that, but that's what he needs to deliver if United are to progress. And that will take time.

There may also come a point -- maybe very soon, if they lose at Fulham on Sunday -- when they'll be tempted to "tank" the league and focus on the Europa League and FA Cup. The fact of the matter is there are 12 points (and eight clubs) between them and the Champions League places -- 11 points (and six clubs) to the Europa League spots. That is a lot of ground to make up with 16 games to go.

Might they be better off concentrating their energy on the cup competitions and using the Premier League as a chance to learn and grow in Amorim's system? It's going to be a big call to make, and Amorim hopes it won't come to that.

Antonio Conte is on his way to doing it again after Napoli's huge win at Atalanta

We may end up remembering this as a season-defining victory, not just because Atalanta were third in the table, but also because the last time they played Atalanta whupped Napoli 3-0 away. On Saturday night, Napoli took what Atalanta (who played very well going forward) threw at them, weathered the storm, punished opposition mistakes and won 3-2 thanks to a late Romelu Lukaku header at the end of a riveting 90-plus minutes.

Atalanta boss Gian Piero Gasperini said losing like that "hurts," and presumably he was referring to how you can pinpoint a defensive error on each of Napoli's three goals. He's right, but there's a lot to be said for Napoli's ability to both neutralize their attack -- they were outshot 15 to 6 and still won the xG battle -- and be ruthless in exploiting their chances.

Games like this feed the Conte narrative about hard work and intensity, and they further cement his grip on this Napoli team. We scoff at this at our peril, but there is no question that he's one of the best in the world at getting immediate buy-in from his players. He said so himself after the game, when asked whether he expected the club to sign a replacement for PSG-bound Khvicha Kvaratskhelia: "If they ask my opinion I'll give it. But if somebody comes, it needs to be someone who can contribute right away, not just some promising youngster. Otherwise, I'll stick to the guys I have, because I trust them and I know they'll go to war with me and won't let me down."

The fact is Napoli have no cup football and only need to play another 17 games between now and the end of the season. He doesn't need more bodies: The ones he has will run through a brick wall for him.

Lest we forget, of the Napoli XI that won the title two years ago, four key pieces -- Victor Osimhen, Kvaratskhelia, Piotr Zielinski and Kim Min-Jae -- are gone. Their replacements are Lukaku, David Neres, Scott McTominay and Alessandro Buongiorno. Except for Buongiorno, the other three are evident downgrades and yet, once again, Conte has shown the ability to make players better ... at least in the short-term.

Injuries ravage Tottenham, and Ange Postecoglou's 'fixes' make things worse

And yet, you can only blame him to a point. When you have 11 unavailable first-team players, you can either plug in some youth teamers or you can devise a new scheme to accommodate the ones you do have. Postecoglou chose the latter, shifting to a back three and playing Dejan Kulusevski and James Maddison as wide men. It's a setup we hadn't seen before from Spurs and, by Postecoglou's own admission, it "probably made things worse" as they went into halftime 3-0 down at Everton.

We can second-guess all we like and try to reconfigure the Spurs puzzle with the ill-fitting pieces available, but there was no obvious "better solution" -- just a lot of Monday Morning Quarterbacking. And possibly because Everton had not actually won a game since Dec. 4 and had just sacked their manager, Postecoglou thought he could get away with it.

The fightback in the second half to 3-2 suggests that Spurs aren't lacking spirit; they're mostly lacking players. That's the good news. The question is when the injured players return, what the table will look like when they do and at what point folks lose faith in Postecoglou. Because the fact of the matter is that this already stretched squad has Europa League, FA Cup and League Cup commitments too. And while eight points from the relegation zone feels like a lot, it can go away pretty quickly once you start to slide.

Pepe Bordalas' Getafe ties up Barca and now league position leaves little margin for error

It's not quite the uber-physical, hyper-defensive, ultra-provocative Bordalas ball of yesteryear, but Getafe know how to make life unpleasant for opponents, and that's what they did to Barcelona in Saturday's 1-1 draw.

When Hansi Flick's team took the lead early with Jules Koundé, you thought Getafe might open up a bit. Nope -- there they were, deep and narrow. And they got a stroke of good fortune too with Mauro Arambarri's equalizer, which further ratcheted up the pressure on Barcelona.

The numbers show Barca did enough to win -- 21 shots on goal, and incredible seven of them from Lamine Yamal, five big chances missed, 2.35 xG -- but there's little question question they looked less fluid than usual. (Bordalas-coached teams will do that to you.) And maybe this was also where the lack of a Plan B (where have you gone, Luuk de Jong?) was telling. Robert Lewandowski probably should have come off sooner, and when he did, it was Ferran Torres who replaced him. Not exactly ideal against a parked bus.

It's now six points in their last eight games for Barcelona, and they've gone from being nine points clear one early November to finding themselves seven back now. It's not insurmountable -- their remaining LaLiga Clasico in May is at home, though their Atletico clash on March 16 is away -- but it's pretty darn close. And they can't afford too many more slip-ups.

The game also saw Alejandro Balde report racist abuse from fans to the referee. The protocol was applied, with an announcement made over the loudspeaker. As we've said many times, that's great in the immediacy of the situation. Now you expect authorities -- with Getafe's cooperation -- to follow through, identify those responsible and take action like others have done.

Quick hits

10. Kylian Mbappe shows what is possible as Real Madrid go back on top: It's not as if the 4-1 trouncing of Las Palmas was all about Mbappe, but it's worth talking about him, because apart from his two goals (and the disallowed one), his movement and involvement offered a glimpse of the sort of forward Carlo Ancelotti wants him to be. Sure, let's take it with a grain of salt. Las Palmas were terrible -- Real Madrid's xG was a whopping 5.90, and that's obviously without the three goals that were disallowed for marginal offsides -- and, of course, Vinicius was suspended. The trick is getting Mbappe to do this when both are on the pitch. But with Atletico losing against Leganes, David Alaba returning to the pitch after a 392-day layoff and the team back in first place, Madridistas couldn't ask for much more.

9. Juventus defeat underscores Milan's woes: This ended up being far more one-sided than the 2-0 scoreline (or the xG, which were 1.08 to 0.97) suggests. Juve dominated possession, but this time it wasn't the sterile sort we've seen before. Manager Thiago Motta played his way, and his choices were vindicated, including the decision to play Nico Gonzalez at center-forward and only using Dusan Vlahovic for the final seven minutes. As for Milan, they played defensively and looked to counterattack, oozing a small club mentality that doesn't suit them (and no, the absence of the suspended Álvaro Morata and the injured Christian Pulisic is not a justification here). Milan boss Sérgio Conceição slammed his players' lack of hunger and intensity, saying fatigue wasn't an excuse and he expected more. Conceição's football is more counterattacking and less possession-oriented than that of Paulo Fonseca, but the reality is he's facing the same issues as his predecessor. He says he wants new signings -- fine, but he'd do well to remember that it's easier for a club to replace one manager than a dozen players. Though, of course, that's exactly what Milan did when they sacked Fonseca and brought in Conceição, so he might have a point...

8. Darwin Nunez gets the last laugh, and it feels right: I think it's fair to say Nunez belongs in the bucket of the "failed-to-live-up-to-his-transfer-fee" signings. A 75m ($78m) fee for a center forward who has scored only 39 goals in 123 appearances is not a good value. Yet, even when Nunez's finishing is inconsistent (as happens too often), his athleticism and physicality still wreak havoc. When he came on against Brentford on Saturday, he was jeered by the home fans who compared him, uncharitably, to Andy Carroll. Had Diogo Jota been fit, he might not have come off the bench at all, but on a day when the Brentford goal seemed cursed for Liverpool -- they'd end up with 37 shots on goal, a Premier League record for an away team, and an xG of 3.43 -- Arne Slot had no other options. This time, Nunez's finishing was on point, materializing to turn in Trent Alexander-Arnold's cross in injury time and doing it again a minute later on the counterattack. Given the abuse he has taken -- and the fact that Liverpool deserved the win -- you can only be happy for him.

7. Xabi Alonso changes it up and reaps rewards as Florian Wirtz shines vs. Gladbach: After the more conservative versions of Leverkusen we've seen in recent weeks, Xabi Alonso took the handbrake off against Borussia Mönchengladbach, with Florian Wirtz and Patrik Schick supported by genuine wingers in Nathan Tella and Martin Terrier. The chances flowed again as they rolled to a convincing 3-1 win powered by the irrepressible Wirtz, who had two goals and an assist. Yes, he's the best player in the Bundesliga right now, and this more front-foot version of Leverkusen is a lot more fun to watch (and a lot more efficient, too).

6. Phil Foden's hot streak continues as Man City romp at Ipswich: That's now five goals in the last three Manchester City league outings for last season's Player of the Year Foden, who has been M.I.A. for much of the season. It's somewhat odd that so much of the focus of City's difficult season has been on other issues, whether it be Erling Haaland or Rodri's absence or the wayward defense. Foden is the value-add in attacking midfield, and if he is indeed fit and has regained his mojo -- we can't be certain since Ipswich were really poor, as the 6-0 scoreline shows -- though it's obviously a critical boost ahead of a really tough stretch. City's next eight games include Paris Saint-Germain, Chelsea, Arsenal, Newcastle, Liverpool and Spurs (who seem to have the hex over them). That said, equally important (though, as usual, with the necessary caveats) is the clean sheet: only the third for City in the league since October.

5. Bradley Barcola fires PSG forward as they take a big step towards the Ligue 1 title: The away game at Lens was a potential trap for Luis Enrique, coming just before Wednesday's crucial Champions League clash with Manchester City and following a series of lackluster performances. Especially since PSG chose to rest several key men (Ousmane Dembélé and Marquinhos, above all) with an eye towards Kevin De Bruyne & Co. in a must-win game. In the end, it all worked out as they came back from a goal down and snatched the win with a gorgeous Barcola finish. With Marseille held to a point the following day, their lead is nine points, and if the goal means Barcola has rediscovered his scoring form -- his last league goal was in early November -- then PSG can consider this one heck of a weekend.

4. Lautaro Martinez hits form at the right time as Inter keep pace with Napoli: It's no secret that the first half of the 2024-25 season hasn't been kind to the Inter forward. So it's encouraging that since Christmas, he has notched four goals in six games and his performances have picked up, as he showed in Sunday's 3-1 win over Empoli. Inter's goals came in the second half, but they were solidly in control throughout. And with Marcus Thuram coming off the bench and scoring (he's now up to 14 on the season), Simone Inzaghi has his strike partnership back. Equally important, the win keeps them in second place, three points behind the leaders, Napoli, with a game in hand.

3. Atletico shouldn't worry about the Leganes trap ending their streak: The 1-0 defeat against relegation-threatened Leganes ends their winning streak at 15 games, and Real Madrid's victory means they're no longer top of the table. But Diego Simeone is right when he says his team did enough to win and simply did not get the breaks. Antoine Griezmann missed his first penalty for Atletico in eight years, Clément Lenglet laid an egg for the Leganes goal, they put together an xG of 2.42 and failed to score. On another day, it's three points, easy. The worst thing that Simeone could do is second-guess himself here. I don't think he will.

2. Finishing is still an issue for Bayern despite a 3-2 win: Regular readers will know that I'm more concerned with creating good chances than finishing, since the latter is more linked to variance and randomness. But here I'm making an exception. Bayern put together an xG of 3.07 and scored three goals in the 3-2 win against Wolfsburg, so at first glance you'd think everything was fine. Except their first two goals were low-percentage, long-range efforts (the latter with some help from keeper Kamil Grabara), and the third was a collective snooze off a free kick from the Wolfsburg back line. Kingsley Coman devoured a couple clear-cut opportunities and Harry Kane, despite seven shots, still hasn't scored from open play in two months. Meanwhile, the usual defensive wobbles meant Wolfsburg pulled it back to 3-2 and an unnecessarily nervy ending. There was good news, too: midfielder Leon Goretzka had his best game in ages and Bayern showed they are less dependent on Jamal Musiala than some thought (he only played the last 15 minutes). But there's work to do.

1. About that William Saliba-shaped hole in the Arsenal back four: Two seasons ago, when Saliba suffered his season-ending injury, the Gunners were five points clear at the top of the table. They would end up losing the title to Manchester City by five points. According to reports out of France, his injury -- this time, a hamstring -- is not as serious, but Arsenal's 2-2 draw against Aston Villa served as a reminder of just how critical he is. At 2-0 following Kai Havertz's goal, you figured Arsenal could just see out the game; at that point, Villa's xG was 0.12 off three shots. But just as you needed to hunker down, cracks appeared. Youri Teiemans improbably pulled one back after mistakes from Thomas Partey (deputizing at rightback) and Mikel Merino. Then, with the back four in chaos, Tielemans hit the post and moments later, Ollie Watkins made it 2-2 after more unsteady defending. Sure, Arsenal had chances at the end too, including a disallowed winner, and it's not a given that Saliba's presence and leadership would have prevented those goals. But the ghost of 2023 is real. Somebody needs to step up or, with Bukayo Saka out too, things could go south real quick.

HOUSTON -- Texans coach DeMeco Ryans said Monday that cornerback Kris Boyd didn't push special teams coach Frank Ross in a "disrespectful manner" after he nearly shoved him to the ground following the opening kickoff of the team's divisional playoff loss to the Chiefs this past weekend.

"I don't think he was pushing Frank in a disrespectful manner," Ryans said. "I think it was moreso he was fired up -- overly fired up -- and thought he made a play to help us. So that narrative that he's pushing a coach, that's incorrect."

The Texans kicked off, and Chiefs returner Nikko Remigio had broken through their coverage, hitting the open field and racing toward the end zone. Boyd caught him and stripped the ball loose, ran toward Houston's sideline and celebrated the fumble by ripping off his helmet and sending it skittering toward the bench.

Unfortunately for Boyd and the Texans, the Chiefs recovered the fumble.

It was a fact Boyd only realized as he neared the sideline, after his helmet was off and the penalty flag had been thrown.

Boyd proceeded to shove Ross on the sideline and ultimately was flagged for unsportsmanlike conduct for taking off his helmet.

Boyd said after the game that he was "just too excited" and that he apologized to Ross for letting his emotions get the best of him.

Though Ryans downplayed Boyd's push of Ross, he reiterated Monday that the sixth-year pro has to handle himself better to avoid costly penalties.

"He came over with the excitement, overly excited that he made a play, but we can't lose our minds in that sense of taking our helmet off," Ryans said. "We still have to remain poised, right. We cannot take a helmet off in a game, everyone knows and understands the rules."

Edmonton Oilers star Connor McDavid and Vancouver Canucks defenseman Tyler Myers have both been suspended three games after delivering cross-checks to the heads of opponents in a game between the teams on Saturday night.

It's the longest suspension in McDavid's 10-year NHL career, which has seen him win the Hart Trophy as league MVP three times and the Conn Smythe Trophy as playoff MVP last postseason.

McDavid delivered a cross-check to the head of Canucks forward Conor Garland. Myers hit Oilers defenseman Evan Bouchard in the head with a cross-check. Both players earned match penalties in the third period on Saturday night. The length of their suspensions means neither McDavid nor Myers will be available when the teams meet again in Edmonton on Thursday night.

With less than a minute left in regulation and the Canucks up 3-2, McDavid and Vancouver forward Garland toppled to the ice. As McDavid tried to get back to his skates, Garland held his arm, resulting in McDavid giving him a gloved punch to free himself. As McDavid attempted to return to the play, Garland wrapped his arms around the Edmonton captain to take him to the ice a second time.

As Garland continued to obstruct McDavid when both reached their feet, McDavid delivered a stiff cross-check to Garland's head.

"Connor gets frustrated and he gets his stick up," Oilers coach Kris Knoblauch said after the game. "He's frustrated because we're down one goal and the best player in the league is getting held for 15 seconds. There's frustration that [it's] allowed to happen and his stick got up."

The Department of Player Safety noted that this was not a routine play by McDavid to box out an opponent or gain body position.

"Having just been involved physically with Garland, McDavid retaliates aggressively and intentionally, escalating the altercation by raising his stick significantly and making this contact: a high cross-check that makes direct contact with an opponent's head with sufficient force to warrant supplemental discipline," the department said in its suspension video.

McDavid was previously suspended once in his NHL career for an illegal check to the head of the Islanders' Nick Leddy in February 2019. He was also fined $5,000 in March 2021 for elbowing Jesperi Kotkaniemi of the Canadiens. McDavid is fourth in the NHL in scoring with 65 points in 43 games.

"Connor plays through a lot. Ironically, he doesn't draw many penalties," said Knoblauch. "He's under the microscope every time he's on the ice because he's so dangerous. He puts up with more than the average player."

Right after McDavid cross-checked Garland, Myers cross-checked Bouchard in the head. Myers finished a check on Bouchard along the boards as play was whistled dead. The two players exchanged light slashes, but as Bouchard glided toward Myers with one hand on his stick, Myers delivered a cross-check to Bouchard's head with both hands on his stick. Bouchard's neck snapped back, and he quickly grabbed his face as he fell to the ice.

The Department of Player Safety said that Myers argued he didn't intend to deliver a cross-check to Bouchard's head. Video replay shows Bouchard's gloves coming up as Myers delivers the cross-check. However, the department said it didn't believe Myers delivered a cross-check that was "directed towards the body that rides up the opponent" but one that "was delivered cleanly to the head of Bouchard" on the play.

"This is an intentional cross-check by Myers, who raises his stick significantly to initiate this contact," said the department in its suspension video.

Myers was suspended three games for boarding Scott Gomez of Montreal in March 2012 and another three games for an illegal check to the head of the Devils' Dainius Zubrus in 2014. He had also been fined twice in his NHL career. Myers has 13 points in 45 games and is third on the Canucks in average ice time (20:33).

McDavid will forfeit $195,312.51 in salary. Myers will forfeit $46,875.00. The money goes to the Players' Emergency Assistance Fund. Both players are eligible to appeal their suspensions to NHL commissioner Gary Bettman, who would have the final say on those appeals.

SAN FRANCISCO -- The Golden State Warriors will be without Draymond Green for at least a week because of a mild calf strain, the team said Monday.

Green underwent an MRI on Sunday, and the team said Monday that its defensive leader will be reevaluated in one week.

He suffered the injury three minutes into Saturday's win against Washington. He had just returned from a three-game absence due to illness and a back issue.

"He's such a unique player," Warriors coach Steve Kerr said before facing the Boston Celtics on Monday. "He's one of the best playmaking bigs in the league playing with Steph [Curry]. When he goes out, we become more traditional, spread the floor, put shooters out there.

"Steph and Dray have such a connection that when they're together out there, they're playing their game and we're playing our game. As soon as Draymond leaves the floor, it becomes a different game."

Green did not play Monday and will also miss games this week at Sacramento, against Chicago and against the Los Angeles Lakers.

He is the Warriors' latest key player to be sidelined. Jonathan Kuminga injured his right ankle on Jan. 4 and was ruled out for at least three weeks. He likely will need longer than that to return. Brandin Podziemski has been out since Dec. 28 with an abdominal injury, and Kyle Anderson is out with a glute injury.

OWINGS MILLS, Md. -- A day after the Baltimore Ravens once again came up short of their ultimate goal, they still believe it's only a matter of time before they're celebrating a championship with quarterback Lamar Jackson.

"It's inevitable," Pro Bowl fullback Patrick Ricard said Monday. "He's going to win a Super Bowl, and I want to be a part of it. It just sucks that it hasn't happened yet."

Jackson is the only two-time NFL Most Valuable Player to not win a Super Bowl, much less reach one. Sunday's 27-25 loss at the Buffalo Bills dropped his postseason record to 3-5.

It was a struggle early for Jackson on Sunday, when he threw an interception in the first quarter and lost a fumble in the second quarter. After halftime, Jackson nearly pulled off one of his best comebacks, throwing a 24-yard touchdown pass to Isaiah Likely to cut Baltimore's deficit to 27-25 with 1 minute, 33 seconds remaining. Then, Jackson's potential game-tying pass on a 2-point conversion was dropped by tight end Mark Andrews.

"I personally feel bad for him because he deserves it just because of how great of a player he is," Ricard said. "He deserves to be considered one of the best quarterbacks. He already is, but I know everyone considers championships as the standard, and he'll get it one day."

Ricard enjoys the comparison between Jackson and Peyton Manning. In their first seven seasons, both Manning and Jackson won multiple NFL MVP awards but were 3-5 in the playoffs. Manning eventually won two Super Bowls.

"There's still time," Ricard said. "He's still young. He's definitely going to [get] one at some point."

Jackson, 28, could become the youngest to ever win MVP three times. The award will be announced at the NFL Honors show on Feb. 6.

He is coming off his best statistical season, becoming the first player in NFL history to throw more than 40 touchdown passes and fewer than five interceptions in a season (he finished the season with 41 TDs and four picks).

But Jackson has failed to win consecutive playoff games in his career. And since entering the NFL in 2018, his 11 turnovers in the playoffs lead the league over that span.

"Oh, he's mad. He's mad for sure," Ravens wide receiver Zay Flowers said. "We know our team. We know what we're supposed to do and we know the only way that we can't do what we want to is what we did yesterday. So I already know how he's feeling."

The Indianapolis Colts are hiring Lou Anarumo as their new defensive coordinator, sources told ESPN's Adam Schefter on Monday.

Anarumo, who was fired by the Cincinnati Bengals after the season, replaces Gus Bradley in the Colts' defensive coordinator role.

The Colts and Bradley parted ways earlier this month after the team's defense never ranked higher than 24th in points allowed during the 2024 regular season and regressed from 15th in yards allowed during Bradley's first season to 29th this season (361.2).

Anarumo had been with the Bengals since head coach Zac Taylor was hired in 2019. He played an integral role in Cincinnati's turnaround from the worst team in the AFC North to playing in the franchise's first Super Bowl in 33 years.

Cincinnati's defense struggled in each of the past two seasons as the Bengals missed the postseason in 2023 and 2024 after winning back-to-back division championships and making deep playoff runs. This season, Cincinnati finished 26th in points allowed per drive and was 30th in the NFL in defensive red zone efficiency, according to ESPN Research.

The Chicago Bears are finalizing a deal to hire Detroit Lions offensive coordinator Ben Johnson as their next head coach, sources told ESPN's Adam Schefter on Monday.

Johnson, who has been the Lions' offensive coordinator the past three seasons, ---will fill the job vacated when Matt Eberflus was fired during the season.

Johnson, 38, was available to be hired after the Lions, who were the NFC's No. 1 seed in the playoffs, were stunned Saturday night by the Washington Commanders.

He has rebuffed interest from teams over the past few years but now will take over in Chicago to coach quarterback Caleb Williams, who said earlier this month that he was intrigued by Johnson's offense with the Lions.

Ahead of the Bears' 34-17 loss to Detroit in December, Johnson offered similar praise over what he'd seen from Williams. In two games against the Lions, the No. 1 overall pick in the 2024 draft threw for 681 yards and five touchdowns without an interception.

Johnson, known for his innovative playcalling, has coached the Lions to top-10 offenses the past two seasons, including second overall in 2024, when they were No. 1 in points scored and finished 15-2.

The Bears were 5-12 this season, last in the NFC North standings.