Terms of the deal were not disclosed. O'Connell, 39, was set to enter the final year of his original contract with the Vikings, who hired him before the 2022 season.

"Kevin is exactly who we believed him to be when we named him as our head coach -- an innovative play-caller, an excellent communicator and a strong leader who motivates and connects with his players," Vikings owner/president Mark Wilf said in a statement. "He has helped establish a culture that positions us for sustained success, and he will continue to set the standard we need as we pursue a championship for Vikings fans."

Minnesota also is negotiating a contract extension with general manager Kwesi Adofo-Mensah, according to multiple reports.

O'Connell is 34-17 overall, including 14-3 this season when Minnesota earned the second-most wins in franchise history. The Vikings fell short of the conference's No. 1 seed and the NFC North title, with the Detroit Lions earning both. Minnesota lost to the Los Angeles Rams 27-9 in the NFC wild-card round.

He said it is "an absolute honor" to continue to coach the Vikings.

"Holding this prestigious position is something I never take for granted, and I want to express my sincere gratitude to the Wilf family for their unwavering belief in what we are building together," said O'Connell, who also thanked his wife and children, coaches, players and support staff.

"I can't wait to get back to work with all of them as we continue to build upon the high standard we've set and the positive environment we've created," he added. "To Vikings fans, you are the best in the NFL. There is no greater joy than leading our team in front of you each Sunday and experiencing the home-field advantage you create. I'm thrilled for the years ahead."

His first year as head coach, the Vikings went 13-4, followed by 7-10 in 2023 and 14-3 this season. Minnesota was bounced in the first round of the NFC playoffs in 2022 and this season.

O'Connell is the only coach in Vikings history with multiple 13-win seasons. He is the fastest in franchise history to 30 career wins, reaching the mark in 46 games.

He was offensive coordinator for the Los Angeles Rams (2020-21) before coming to Minnesota. He also served as OC in Washington in 2019 after two seasons as quarterbacks coach. O'Connell broke in with the Cleveland Browns as QBs coach in 2015 and was an offensive assistant with the San Francisco 49ers in 2016.

Anarumo, 58, held the same post the past six seasons in Cincinnati before the Bengals fired him on Jan. 6.

The Colts parted ways with defensive coordinator Gus Bradley the same day after three seasons on the job.

"I'm thrilled to add Lou Anarumo as our defensive coordinator," Colts coach Shane Steichen said. "With many years of coaching experience, Lou is a proven leader who will demand the best out of our players. His strategic mindset and unique scheme will be invaluable as we build a fast and disciplined defensive unit."

Indianapolis (8-9) ranked 24th in scoring defense (25.1 points per game) and 29th in total defense (361.2 yards per game) this season.

Cincinnati (9-8) finished 25th in both scoring defense (25.5) and total defense (348.3).

Anarumo arrives with 36 years of coaching experience, including the last 13 seasons in the NFL.

Before joining the Bengals in 2019, he coached defensive backs for the New York Giants (2018) and Miami Dolphins (2012-17). He was the Dolphins' interim DC for part of the 2015 season.

Johnson, 38, accepted the position with Chicago after three seasons as the offensive coordinator with the NFC North-rival Detroit Lions. He began his time with the Lions in 2019 as an offensive quality control coach before elevating to tight ends coach and later passing game coordinator.

"A proven leader with winning pedigree and a mind toward innovation, we are excited to welcome Ben and his family to Chicago as our head coach," Bears general manager Ryan Poles said.

"Throughout our search process, I was thoroughly impressed by Ben's character, intelligence, leadership and ability to connect. A progressive offensive mind, Ben's plan for all three phases of our team, which is centered on creating a winning and competitive environment, became evidently clear. Meeting with Ben and gaining an understanding of his process and vision, the more confident we became that Ben is the right leader for our team and that he and I will be great partners in building our team and shaping our franchise for long-term success.

"It is undeniable how passionate Ben is for serving in the role of head coach of the Chicago Bears, and we are primed, equipped and excited to welcome him and his family to Chicago and to commence our process of building a championship-caliber team, together. This is just the beginning."

Johnson will take over a Bears team that floundered to last-place finish in the NFC North this season. Chicago lost 10 straight after its promising start, including a 23-20 defeat at Detroit on Thanksgiving Day that led to the firing of coach Matt Eberflus on Nov. 29.

"The Chicago Bears are a world-class franchise with a phenomenal history and incredible fanbase," Johnson said. "I am thankful to George (McCaskey, team chairman), Kevin (Warren, president and CEO), Ryan, and the entire organization for presenting me and my family with this tremendous opportunity. Having been on the opposing sideline, I can attest to how passionate Bears fans are about this city and their team, and I am honored to be their head coach."

In each of Johnson's three seasons as offensive coordinator, the Lions finished among the NFL's top five in total yards and points per game.

Under Johnson, Detroit boasted the league's top scoring offense this season (33.2 points per game) and finished second in average total yards (409.5). The Lions' points (564) and regular-season wins (15) this season were franchise records.

Johnson will aim to improve a Bears offense that managed the fewest yards (284.6) and tied for the fourth-fewest points per game (18.2) with rookie quarterback Caleb Williams, the top overall pick of the 2024 NFL Draft.

The officiating crew also consists of umpire Mike Morton, down judge Max Causey, line judge Mark Stewart, field judge Mearl Robinson, side judge Boris Cheek, back judge Jonah Monroe and replay official Kevin Brown.

This is the second Super Bowl assignment for Torbert, who was the referee when the Los Angeles Rams beat the Cincinnati Bengals 23-20 at Super Bowl LVI in Inglewood, Calif.

He was the referee in the Washington Commanders' upset win over the Detroit Lions on Saturday in the NFC divisional round.

For Cheek, this will be his fourth Super Bowl assignment, and he most recently was on Torbert's crew in 2022. On Dec. 30, he became the all-time leader in NFL games officiated with 461, passing Walt Coleman.

Morton also has Super Bowl experience -- as a player. He was a linebacker for the then-St. Louis Rams team that defeated the Tennessee Titans in Super Bowl XXXIV after the 1999 season.

He became an NFL official in 2022, but in his full-time job, he's a dentist in North Carolina.

Schottenheimer, 51, has never been a head coach at any level. The son of the late Marty Schottenheimer, Brian Schottenheimer served as an assistant under McCarthy the past three seasons. He joined the Cowboys as an analyst in 2022 and was promoted to offensive coordinator in 2023 when Kellen Moore was fired.

Moore, who joined the Los Angeles Chargers for one season and is currently offensive coordinator of the Philadelphia Eagles, is also a candidate in Dallas. He interviewed virtually with Jones last week. Former New York Jets coach Robert Saleh also interviewed last week.

Dallas reportedly is scheduled to interview former Carolina Panthers and Washington Commanders coach Ron Rivera and completed an interview Monday with Seattle Seahawks assistant head coach Leslie Frazier.

The Cowboys have favored offensive coaches under Jones, who hired McCarthy in 2020 to replace Jason Garrett. Garrett was head coach in Dallas from 2010-19. He took over for Wade Phillips, who spent most of four seasons as coach and followed Bill Parcells.

Brian Schottenheimer has been an NFL assistant for more than 25 years. He did not hold play-calling responsibilities with the Cowboys under McCarthy.

McCarthy broke into the NFL in 1993 as a quality control coach with the Kansas City Chiefs, working for Marty Schottenheimer. In 1998, Brian Schottenheimer became an offensive assistant on the same coaching staff.

Johnson will take over a Bears team that floundered to last-place finish in the NFC North this season after winning four of its first six games.

Chicago lost 10 straight after its promising start, including a 23-20 defeat at Detroit on Thanksgiving Day that led to the firing of coach Matt Eberflus on Nov. 29.

Johnson became available to hire after the top-seeded Lions' surprising 45-31 home loss to the Washington Commanders in a divisional round game Saturday night.

The 38-year-old was one of the most coveted head coaching candidates this season.

His creative playcalling, which includes a deep bag of gadget plays, has helped Detroit sustain one of the league's most potent offenses.

In each of Johnson's three seasons as offensive coordinator, the Lions finished among the NFL's top five in total yards and points per game.

Detroit boasted the league's top scoring offense this season (33.2 ppg) and finished second in total yards per game (409.5). Their 564 points this season were a franchise record, as were their 15 regular-season wins.

Johnson will aim to improve a Bears offense that managed the fewest yards (284.6) and tied for the fourth-fewest points per game (18.2) last season with rookie quarterback Caleb Williams, the top overall pick of the 2024 NFL Draft.

Anarumo, 58, served the past six seasons as DC in Cincinnati before the Bengals fired him on Jan. 6.

Cincinnati went 9-8 and won its last five games but missed the playoffs. The Bengals finished the season 25th in total defense (348.3 yards per game) and tied for 25th in points allowed (25.5 per game).

The Colts fired defensive coordinator Gus Bradley, 58, on Jan. 6 after three seasons. The defense allowed 25.1 points per game (24th) and 361.2 yards per game (29th).

Anarumo was the Bengals' defensive coordinator from 2019-24, a role he also served as interim with Miami in 2015. He was the Dolphins' defensive backs coach in 2014-17, and coached the New York Giants' defensive backs in 2018.

"We talk about that core. That core group is still intact -- and we've signed some back, some are up on contracts and that'll be ongoing. But, yeah, we absolutely do," Campbell said Monday of whether the Lions' window is still open. "I think the most important thing is you want to know you've got your culture, you've got your identity, and you've got players that fit into that, and we've got that. And we've got players in every pivotal position you can ask for to have success and those guys are made the right way, so, absolutely, our window is open."

Detroit claimed the No. 1 seed in the NFC for the first time in franchise history. But the Lions were blown out by the Washington Commanders, 45-31, on Saturday night at Ford Field. The abrupt end to a season in which the Lions were 15-2 is a difficult reality for Campbell and many of his players who felt the sting of a season-ending loss in the NFC Championship at San Francisco a year ago.

"We met two of those goals this year and, in a sense, went above and beyond what we were a year ago," Campbell said. "But yet, we didn't get any further and man, that's disappointing. But it also eats at me. That drives me. That motivates me."

Campbell said of the season finish: "We're going to come back stronger, we're going to learn from this, and it's just more fuel on the fire, is what it is."

The Lions re-signed multiple core players last offseason with new deals for quarterback Jared Goff, offensive tackle Penei Sewell and wide receiver Amon-Ra St. Brown.

While there are personnel holes to be filled, Campbell also has a coaching staff in flux. Offensive coordinator Ben Johnson has three known interviews for head-coaching vacancies and defensive coordinator Aaron Glenn is a popular candidate, too. Campbell said he reminded players and coaches there is a "next man up" mentality regardless of what happens with his top lieutenants.

With a 27-7 regular-season record the past two seasons, the win-now approach for the franchise won't change, Campbell said. He is prioritizing making certain Goff's comfort level in the offense doesn't decline.

"We're not going to allow that to happen," Campbell said. "Does it hurt to lose those guys? Absolutely. They're a part of what we've been here. They've been here for four years and they're one of the major reasons why we've been able to get to where we've been.

"We came out of the dump and got to where we're at, so I will forever be grateful for those guys and our team will. And is it a loss? Absolutely, it'd be a loss, but yet we move forward. This train rolls on and I'll find the next best guys for us."

Glenn, 52, conducted a virtual interview with the Jets regarding their head coaching vacancy on Jan. 9. He is also expected to meet in person with the New Orleans Saints.

Glenn's season ended Saturday when the top-seeded Lions lost 45-31 to the visiting Washington Commanders in an NFC divisional playoff game.

Glenn was a first-round pick (12th overall) by the Jets in 1994. The three-time Pro Bowl defensive back played the first eight of his 15 NFL seasons with New York and later worked as a scout for the franchise from 2012-13.

He has been Detroit's defensive coordinator since 2021 following stints as a defensive backs coach with the Saints (2016-20) and Cleveland Browns (2014-15).

The Jets fired head coach Robert Saleh after a 2-3 start this season and went 3-9 under interim coach Jeff Ulbrich.

Peters, 46, replaces Frank Pollack, fired by the Bengals on Jan. 6.

Peters was the O-line coach in New England this past season but was out of a job when the Patriots fired head coach Jerod Mayo after one season. Peters is a former assistant offensive line coach for the Cleveland Browns (2020-23).

The Bengals also named Michael McCarthy assistant offensive line coach. McCarthy, 39, was Peters' assistant in New England.

Quarterback Joe Burrow was sacked 48 times in 2024 after Cincinnati allowed 50 total sacks in 2023.

The Lions were bounced from the NFC field by the Washington Commanders, who were a 10-point underdog by kickoff on Saturday night. Money shifted to Washington as the number grew ahead of the game and it paid off in a 45-31 win. The Commanders had a moneyline of anywhere between +376 to +430 and wound up in their first NFC Championship game since 1991.

"The Lions losing was a great result for the futures market at BetMGM. On top of knocking our biggest liability out of the running, the Commanders win also ruined the popular chalk money line parlay of Lions, Chiefs, and Ohio State," Christian Cipollini, BetMGM trading manager, said Monday.

After wins at Tampa Bay and Detroit, the Commanders are ticketed for a third road game this weekend and their third matchup this season with NFC East division rival Philadelphia. The Eagles and Commanders split two entertaining games in the regular season.

FanDuel lists the Eagles as 5.5-point favorites Monday and the Commanders are fourth of the remaining four teams in the Super Bowl futures odds market. Kansas City is a 1.5-point favorite over the Buffalo Bills in the AFC Championship at ESPN Bet and Fan Duel.

BetMGM moved the Eagles from +400 to win the Super Bowl last week to current +180 odds, overtaking the Lions as the favorite.

The Chiefs went from +350 last week to +240, narrowly ahead of the Bills. Buffalo went from +400 to +250 and the Commanders moved from +3000 at kickoff of the Lions' game to +700 at BetMGM. FanDuel lists Washington at +750, the Eagles as the favorite at +180 and Kansas City (+220) ahead of the Bills (+250).

The most popular exact result Super Bowl matchup on the board at FanDuel and Draft Kings is the Chiefs beating the Eagles (+380), just ahead of the Eagles beating the Chiefs (+410).

Like Washington to keep it rolling? Consider the Commanders to beat the Chiefs (+1300) or Bills (+1600) at Fan Duel.

Washington rookie quarterback Jayden Daniels is +700 in the Super Bowl MVP futures market, fifth behind Eagles running back Saquon Barkley (+550) and quarterback Jalen Hurts (+400) and co-favorites Bills quarterback Josh Allen and Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes (+280) at Draft Kings.

Chiefs tight end Travis Kelce is sixth at +2800.

Kafka, 37, will get a longer look in New Orleans after being a finalist for Seattle's opening last winter. Weaver is again a finalist after bids with Washington and Atlanta a year ago. His second interview will be Wednesday, per the report.

Kafka has no experience leading an NFL team, but he has been the head coach for collegiate showcases in each of the past two seasons: the East-West Shrine Bowl on Feb. 1, 2024, and the upcoming Feb. 1 Senior Bowl.

He has been New York's offensive coordinator since 2022 and added the title of assistant head coach on Brian Daboll's staff in 2024.

The Giants finished 18th, 29th and 30th in the NFL in total offense from 2022-24 under Kafka.

A journeyman NFL quarterback who spent time with seven teams from 2010-15, Kafka joined Andy Reid's staff in Kansas City in 2017 and moved his way up to quarterbacks coach and passing game coordinator from 2020-21.

Weaver, 44, is in his first season as defensive coordinator with the Dolphins. He was a position coach on that side of the line with the New York Jets (2012), Buffalo Bills (2013), Cleveland Browns (2014-15), Houston Texans (2016-19) and Baltimore Ravens (2021-23) before becoming the Texans' DC in 2020.

The Saints' search has also included in-person interview with interim coach Darren Rizzi, who went 3-5 following the firing of Dennis Allen. New Orleans has had virtual interviews with offensive coordinators Kellen Moore and Joe Brady of the Philadelphia Eagles and Buffalo Bills, respectively.

Stafford had just thrown for 324 yards and two touchdowns in snowy Philadelphia, and had a comeback attempt fall just short in a 28-22 loss to the Eagles in a division-round playoff game. The Rams reached the Philadelphia 13-yard line in the final minute before the drive stalled.

"As far as my future goes, I mean, it's 30 minutes after our last game, so I'll take some time to think about it. I feel like I was playing some really good ball," Stafford told reporters afterward. The quarterback, who will turn 37 years old on Feb. 7, is under contract for two more seasons.

Stafford later said he enjoys competing and didn't sound ready to retire.

"I love being in those moments. Sure as hell not afraid of them. And competed my (expletive) off and it didn't go the way I wanted to today. Next time I'm out there, line it up. Let's do it again."

Coach Sean McVay, who guided the Rams to the Super Bowl title after the 2021 season, Stafford's first in Los Angeles, sounded equally disinterested in talking about the quarterback's future.

"I'm not really interested in talking about anything as it relates to next year," McVay said. "Right now, I'm just appreciative of this team."

The coach's comments certainly made it clear he has full confidence in Stafford, who played his first 12 seasons with the Detroit Lions before he was dealt to Los Angeles in March 2021 for two first-round draft picks, a third-round pick and quarterback Jared Goff.

"(Stafford) put us in a position to win that football game. That's who he is, and I'm not at all surprised. We all had the expectation with him leading the way that we were going to win that game," McVay said.

The coach added that he and the team "didn't see it going any other way than us winning that game 29-28."

In 222 career regular-season games, Stafford has completed 63.4 percent of his passes for 59,809 yards and 377 touchdowns, both good for 10th in league history.

The Eagles are the +180 favorite at DraftKings to win Super Bowl LIV ahead of Kansas City at +240 as the Chiefs chase a three-peat.

Philadelphia survived a late rally from the visiting Los Angeles Rams to win 28-22 in snowy conditions on Sunday. The Eagles were installed as a 4.5-point favorite by DraftKings at home against the Washington Commanders for the NFC Championship. Philadelphia is a 5.0-point favorite at some other sportsbooks, including BetRivers.

That's despite quarterback Jalen Hurts playing through a left leg injury suffered in the second half of Sunday's win over the Rams.

"It was a tough game, a challenging game," Hurts said after the game. "I was able to finish the game, and we'll see how the week goes."

The Eagles' Super Bowl odds shortened thanks in part to their upcoming opponent, with NFC East rival Washington taking out the No. 1-seeded Detroit Lions on Saturday. Rookie quarterback Jayden Daniels will attempt to continue the Cinderella run, with the Commanders holding by far the longest title odds remaining at +650.

The fourth and final team to join the conference championship fray was Buffalo, which survived a heavyweight battle at home against Baltimore on Sunday night. After Josh Allen was able to outduel fellow MVP candidate Lamar Jackson, he has now booked another highly anticipated playoff date against the Chiefs and Patrick Mahomes.

The Bills have slightly longer Super Bowl odds than the Chiefs at +270, with No. 1-seeded Kansas City installed as a slight 1.5-point favorite by DraftKings and BetRivers for the AFC Championship Game. The teams also met for the AFC title in the 2020 season, when the Chiefs emerged as a 38-24 winner.

Rapp was injured in the second quarter and initially termed questionable to return. He was ruled out midway through the third quarter.

Rapp was hurt during a play in which he was on the ground when hit by teammate Damar Hamlin. He was in visible pain when carted off the field with 6:13 left in the second quarter.

Rapp, 27, intercepted Baltimore's Lamar Jackson in the first quarter. He had two tackles.

In the regular season, Rapp had 82 tackles and two interceptions. He is in his second season with the Bills after playing his first four campaigns with the Los Angeles Rams, who selected him in the second round of the 2019 NFL Draft out of Washington.

Ray Davis rushed for a touchdown and the second-seeded Bills forced three turnovers while defeating the third-seeded Ravens in cold and icy conditions. The temperature was 19 degrees, with a feel-like temperature of 12 at kickoff.

Buffalo will visit the top-seeded Kansas City Chiefs in the AFC Championship Game on Jan. 26. It is a rematch of the 2020 season AFC title game when the Chiefs posted a 38-24 victory over Buffalo.

A dropped two-point conversion pass to Mark Andrews prevented the Ravens from tying the score with 1:33 remaining.

Lamar Jackson completed 18 of 25 passes for 254 yards and two touchdowns for the Ravens but also was responsible for two turnovers (one interception, one lost fumble). Baltimore's Derrick Henry rushed for 84 yards and a touchdown and Rashod Bateman and Isaiah Likely had scoring receptions.

Allen completed 16 of 22 passes for 127 yards while gaining the victory over Jackson. The two are the leading NFL MVP candidates.

Jackson finished strong by driving the Ravens 88 yards on eight plays and hit Likely on a 24-yard touchdown catch to bring Baltimore within two with 1:33 left. On the two-point play, Jackson rolled right and tossed the ball to a wide-open Andrews, who dropped the ball in the end zone.

Buffalo's Rasul Douglas recovered the ensuing onside kick and Ty Johnson cemented the victory with a 17-yard run.

Baltimore trailed by 11 points at halftime before controlling the third quarter.

Justin Tucker kicked a 47-yard field goal to bring the Ravens within 21-13 with 9:47 left in the third quarter.

Henry scored on a 5-yard rush with 1:37 remaining in the third. The Ravens went for a tying two-point conversion but Buffalo's Matt Milano tipped away Jackson's pass.

Tyler Bass made a 51-yard field goal to increase the Bills' lead to 24-19 with 12:04 left in the game.

Later, Jackson hit Andrews for 16 yards to the Buffalo 44-yard line. But Bernard punched the ball out of Andrews' hands and jumped on it at the Bills' 46 with 8:41 remaining.

Allen rushed for two first-half touchdowns as Buffalo held a 21-10 lead.

The Ravens took a 7-0 lead on Jackson's 16-yard touchdown pass to Bateman. The Bills tied the score on Davis' 1-yard run with 4:43 left in the opening quarter.

Jackson turned the ball over twice in the half -- the first when he was intercepted by Buffalo's Taylor Rapp in the first quarter.

A more costly turnover occurred in the second quarter when a play was off-kilter due to a high and wide shotgun snap. Jackson was able to corral the ball and tried to run as the ball slipped out of his hands while Buffalo's Damar Hamlin was trying to make an ankle-high tackle.

Miller scooped up the ball and raced 39 yards to the Bills' 24-yard line. Four plays later, Allen scored from the 1 to give Buffalo a 14-7 advantage with 8:49 left in the half.

Tucker booted a 26-yard field goal with 3:43 left in the half, before Allen's 4-yard run gave Buffalo a 21-10 lead with 16 seconds remaining.

The Ravens had listed Flowers as doubtful for the playoff game because of a knee injury, but head coach John Harbaugh held out hope on Friday that the second-year receiver had "a chance" to play.

Flowers missed the entire week of practice after being sidelined all last week and sitting out Baltimore's wild-card win over the Pittsburgh Steelers on Jan. 11.

He sustained the knee injury during Baltimore's 35-10 victory over the Cleveland Browns in the regular-season finale on Jan. 4.

Selected to his first Pro Bowl, Flowers led the Ravens this season with 74 receptions for 1,059 yards. He also caught four touchdowns.

Flowers, 24, started all 16 games as a rookie in 2023, when he had 77 receptions for 858 yards and five TDs, and rushed eight times for 56 yards and another score. The Ravens selected him with the 22nd overall pick of the 2023 NFL Draft out of Boston College.

The Ravens' other inactives are running back Rasheen Ali, linebacker Adisa Isaac, center Nick Samac, nose tackle Josh Tupou and safeties Beau Brade and Marcus Williams.

The Bills' inactive players are wide receiver Jalen Virgil, defensive tackle DeWayne Carter, cornerbacks Kaiir Elam and Brandon Codrington, offensive linemen Sedrick Van-Pran Granger and Ryan Van Demark, and emergency third quarterback Mike White.

Jalen Hurts completed 15 of 20 passes for 128 yards and rushed for 70 yards and a touchdown for Philadelphia. The Eagles advanced to the NFC championship game, where they will host the Washington Commanders next Sunday.

Matthew Stafford completed 26 of 44 passes for 324 yards and two touchdowns for the Rams. Kyren Williams finished with 19 carries for 106 yards, and tight ends Tyler Higbee and Colby Parkinson each had a touchdown catch.

Barkley scored a 78-yard rushing touchdown to make it 28-15 with 4:36 remaining. He cut to his left and sprinted untouched past the secondary. Jake Elliott, however, failed to tack on the extra point for the second time in three PAT tries.

The Rams pulled within 28-22 on a 4-yard touchdown pass from Stafford to Parkinson with 2:48 to go.

The Eagles punted on their next possession, and the Rams had a chance for a go-ahead touchdown. Philadelphia's defense held firm as Stafford threw an incomplete pass on fourth-and-11 from the Eagles' 22-yard line to prompt a turnover on downs.

The score was even at 13-all after Rams kicker Joshua Karty made a 34-yard field goal with 7:37 to play in the third quarter.

Philadelphia inched ahead 16-13 with 2:19 left in the third when Elliott made a 44-yard field goal.

The Rams pulled within 16-15 after a safety with 26 seconds to go in the third quarter. Neville Gallimore brought Hurts down in the end zone.

The Eagles made it 19-15 on a 23-yard field goal by Elliott with 13:23 remaining. Nolan Smith forced Stafford to lose a fumble, and soon Elliott connected again from 37 yards for a seven-point lead with 6:18 to play.

The Eagles opened the scoring on their first drive of the game. Hurts faked a handoff to Barkley, tucked the ball and sprinted right for a 44-yard touchdown.

The Rams responded with a touchdown on the next possession to grab a 7-6 advantage. Stafford fired a strike to Higbee for a 4-yard score.

The Eagles struck again with another big-play touchdown to pull ahead 13-7. Barkley found an opening at the line of scrimmage and burst to his right for a 62-yard score with 1:07 remaining in the first quarter.

Los Angeles cut the deficit to 13-10 on a 30-yard field goal by Karty with 12:47 to go in the first half.

Whitt was one day removed from guiding his unit to a strong playoff performance against the Detroit Lions. The Commanders intercepted Jared Goff three times and forced him to lose a fumble in a 45-31 victory that advanced Washington to the NFC Championship Game.

Whitt, 46, played wide receiver at Auburn and began his coaching career there as a student assistant. His first job on the defensive side of the ball was as Louisville's cornerbacks coach from 2003-06, after which he graduated to the NFL as an assistant defensive backs coach for the Atlanta Falcons.

Whitt worked in various roles for the Green Bay Packers (2008-18), the Cleveland Browns (2019), another stint with Atlanta (2020) and the Dallas Cowboys (2021-23), primarily working with the secondary and coordinating pass defense. This was his first season in Washington and his first year as a defensive coordinator.

It also marks Whitt's first interview for a head coaching job.

New York's other interviews have included 10 candidates with previous NFL head coaching experience, counting its own interim coach Jeff Ulbrich and New Orleans Saints interim coach Darren Rizzi. Ulbrich has since joined Atlanta as its new defensive coordinator, and another interviewee, Mike Vrabel, was hired as the New England Patriots' head coach.

Cosmi suffered a knee injury in Washington's NFC divisional-round win over the top-seeded Detroit Lions on Saturday night. NFL Network reported he will undergo an MRI on Sunday, with the injury described as "potentially serious."

The injury occurred about five minutes into the second quarter when Detroit defender Za'Darius Smith inadvertently hit the back of Cosmi's legs, with Cosmi's right leg pinned under Smith's body. Cosmi hobbled off the field with trainers.

Cosmi was replaced by veteran backup Trent Scott, who is playing with his fourth team in seven NFL seasons.

Cosmi, 25, was selected by Washington in the second round (51st overall) of the 2021 NFL Draft. He has played in 57 regular-season games (49 starts) for Washington, starting all 17 games and playing 100 percent of the team's snaps each of the past two seasons.

The Commanders will meet the winner of Sunday's contest between the Philadelphia Eagles and Los Angeles Rams for the NFC championship next weekend.