Clarence Hill Jr., beat writer for the Fort Worth Star-Telegram covering the Dallas Cowboys, joins Next Up to discuss the Cowboys' 48-32 loss to the Green Bay Packers in the Wild Card round of the playoffs. "There is not a worse loss in playoff history," Hill said. Head coach Mike McCarthy led the Cowboys to regular season success, finishing with a 12-5 record. "You have to give him credit," but "the goal is to win in the playoffs." Many speculate whether quarterback Dak Prescott will have a future with the Cowboys. "How do you move forward with him?" Hill continues to emphasize the disappoint of this loss, saying "they under-achieved" and "this has been a total team collapse."

Stan Norfleet and Chris Gordy of Next Up preview the AFC divisional playoff featuring the Houston Texans against the Baltimore Ravens. Will Texans quarterback C.J. Stroud continue his success as a rookie? Does the Ravens' regular season wins led by MVP candidate Lamar Jackson and Super Bowl champion head coach John Harbaugh matter in the post-season? KPRC reporter Aaron Wilson joins the show to discuss the growth of both teams since their first matchup in week one. During the show, news breaks that Astros' pitcher Kendall Graveman is expected to miss the 2024 season after shoulder surgery, which sparks debate on who the Astros should sign before the beginning of the season. Stan and Chris also recap the NFL Super Wild Card Weekend and the remainder of the playoff picture.

KPRC reporter Aaron Wilson joins Stan Norfleet and Chris Gordy on Next Up to discuss the Houston Texans preparing to travel to Baltimore to take on the Ravens in the AFC divisional round in the playoffs. The Ravens clinched the conference's top seed and is thus coming off a bye-week, so Wilson predicts it will be another tough matchup for the Texans. The Ravens "got a lot of defensive personnel" and "they've beaten some winning teams." However, the Texans flourished against the Browns in their Wild Card matchup, winning 45-14, so "you cannot count out the Texans," Wilson said. The Texans and Ravens faced-off in week one, with the Ravens winning 25-9, but Wilson says these are two different football teams now. The Texans had "one of the better games defensively on Lamar [Jackson]" in week one, but the Texans were also "not a very good pass protection team" early in the season.

Stan Norfleet and Chris Gordy of Next Up react to the news that Alabama head coach Nick Saban announces his retirement and New England Patriots head coach Bill Belichick parting ways with the organization. Who will be the replacements for such legendary coaches? Nick Saban's retirement inspires a heated debate between Stan and Chris about college football changing and possibly driving coaches away. Texans' offensive coordinator Bobby Slowik has been requested by the Tennessee Titans to interview for a head coaching position. The Titans add to the list of teams wanting to interview Slowik, including the Commanders and Panthers. However, when speaking to the media, Slowik seems focused on the Texans taking on the Cleveland Browns on Saturday in the playoffs. Nick Wilson, host on 92.3 The Fan in Cleveland, joins the show to provide some insights on the Browns ahead of the matchup.

Nick Wilson, host on 92.3 The Fan in Cleveland, joins Next Up to preview the Browns returning to Houston to take on the Texans in the first round of the playoffs. The Browns played the Texans at NRG Stadium in week 16 and had a dominant performance with wide receiver Amari Cooper setting a franchise record. Wilson attributes the Browns' success to their "play-action focus" and the "dominant interior offensive line." "The recipe is helping aid the Flacco magic," Wilson said. The Browns' defense is leading the league in many statistical categories, but Wilson says "the numbers are buoyed by the first 8 or 9 weeks of play" and not might be indicative of their current state. Wilson also gives some weaknesses that the Texans might be able to exploit. "The running game has been wildly inconsistent," so the "intermediate passing game" needs to be able to balance the offense and support the defense. Wilson predicts the game will be a tight contest, but says the Browns will be victorious. "I love the talent [the Texans] have," but "the Browns have experience."

Stan Norfleet and Chris Gordy of Next Up break down the Houston Texans taking on the Cleveland Browns on Saturday at NRG Stadium. Will quarterback C.J. Stroud be able to defeat Super Bowl champion and NFL veteran Joe Flacco? The last time these two teams faced-off the Browns dominated the Texans 36-22 on Christmas Eve. How will the Texans defend wide receiver Amari Cooper who had 265 yards and two touchdowns against the Texans in week 16? During the show, news broke that Stroud was named Week 18 AFC Offensive Player of the Week for the second time this season. Stan and Chris preview the NFL Super Wild Card Weekend matchups and predict the outcomes. The Houston Rockets travel to Chicago to take on the Bulls, and editor of The Rockets Wire Ben DuBose talks struggling to win on the road.

Editor of The Rockets Wire Ben DuBose joins Next Up to discuss the Houston Rockets continuing to struggle on the road as they lost 113-120 to the Heat in Miami on Monday. DuBose attributes the loss to Dillon Brooks and Tari Eason being out with injury and "the Heat just had better shooting." With the trade deadline coming in less than a month, DuBose predicts that the Rockets will not want to give up prospects and future picks for a splash trade. "I would anticipate them being relatively quite." The Rockets are sitting in the middle of the Southwest Division, and DuBose evaluates whether the Rockets can move into first. "I still think it's a stretch" to have them win the division, but "there is clearly no super teams" alongside them.

Stan Norfleet and Chris Gordy of Next Up review the College Football National Championship that saw the Michigan Wolverines defeat the Washington Huskies 34-13 at NRG Stadium. Wolverines head coach Jim Harbaugh lifted the trophy in victory, but many speculate whether he will take a coaching position in the NFL next season. The Houston Texans are preparing for a home playoff game against the Cleveland Browns on Saturday, but reports have surfaced of NFL teams requesting interviews with offensive coordinator Bobby Slowik for available head coaching positions. KPRC reporter Aaron Wilson joins the show to comment on the Texans earning the AFC South title and Slowik's future with the team. Stan and Chris react to Titans firing head coach Mike Vrabel, talk NFL playoff matchups and more.