Also, keep an eye on Michael Thomas’s contract negotiations, Andy Reid’s successful coaching tree, why NFL replay needs to be more streamlined and more news and notes on the Monday after conference championship weekend.

After dramatic overtime wins, Tom Brady and Bill Belichick are headed to their ninth (!) Super Bowl together, to face off against young Jared Goff and Sean McVay. But the talk today is all about an obvious, game-deciding blown call, and what the NFL must do to address an officiating crisis.

Let's add a dash of realism to the optimism surrounding the highest-profile coordinator gigs that changed hands this offseason.

The 76ers are playing some of their best and most inspired basketball of the season while the Rockets are trying to see just how long they can rely on James Harden to be everything in Houston. 

The first time they faced the Rams in the Super Bowl, Belichick’s underdog Patriots used an aggressive tactic to shut down Marshall Faulk. Relying on a similar game plan could be the formula for slowing down Sean McVay’s high-powered offense.

Another AFC conference championship, another signature Patriots’ victory in which Brady and this dynasty make the remarkable seem routine.

Behind star guards and veteran leadership, the Sacramento Kings and Brooklyn Nets' rebuilds are ahead of schedule.