Niners' defensive skeleton key: Nicky Manwaring

The Divisional Round is here — and Scoop City is taking you around the league with the biggest questions heading into the weekend. The coaching carousel also had the first domino to fall. How does John Harbaugh landing with the New York Giants reshape the rest of the coaching landscape. Plus, can the Denver Broncos and Seattle Seahawks hold onto home-field advantage, and which young QBs are ready for a defining moment?

We open with the biggest news of the day: John Harbaugh is set to become the next head coach of the New York Giants. Dianna Russini breaks down how the deal came together so quickly, what it signals about where the Giants are headed, and how this move impacts the rest of the NFL’s coaching carousel.

The first stop on the Divisional Round Road Trip is Denver, where Nick Kosmider goes inside the facility with the AFC’s top-seeded Broncos. Can Sean Payton’s vision push this team one step closer to a Super Bowl, and is Denver’s pass rush dominant enough to disrupt even the league’s most dangerous quarterback? The Broncos have been rolling for months — but can Bo Nix keep pace if this turns into a shootout?

Then we head to Buffalo with Joe Buscaglia to preview the Bills’ biggest test yet in the altitude at Mile High. What is the “special trait” that makes this group feel ready for anything, and how does Josh Allen respond when the Broncos’ front starts hunting? Buffalo’s been here before — but this time the path runs straight through the AFC’s best defense.

In the NFC, Michael-Shawn Dugar breaks down the Seahawks returning to the playoffs as the #1 seed — and finally hosting a true home game in front of their fans again. Seattle’s defense has been elite across the board, but can they turn dominance into a deep postseason run? And after years of waiting for another signature January win, is this the moment the Seahawks finally break through?

On the other side of that matchup, Vic Tafur previews the 49ers’ path forward after surviving the Eagles — and dealing with yet another brutal injury. Can San Francisco overcome the losses and steal a divisional rematch in Seattle, especially after falling short in Week 18? Plus, could the team get Fred Warner back for the final weeks of the season? How the linebacker has looked at practice this week. The Niners have lived on the edge all year… and they’re still standing.

In Chicago, Kevin Fishbain joins to preview the Bears hosting the Rams with Caleb Williams trending upward at the perfect time. Can the Bears avoid another slow start and keep Williams playing fearless football in the biggest moments? And with Chicago pulling off comebacks nobody else in the league can match, is this becoming their postseason identity?

We wrap with Chad Graff on the Patriots hosting the Texans — and the key to Drake Maye surviving another week of playoff punishment. Can New England protect the football, handle Houston’s pressure, and force C.J. Stroud into mistakes the way they did against Justin Herbert? Plus: the latest on Christian Gonzalez and how disruptive this Patriots defense can be when it’s rolling.

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Who’s getting upset this weekend — and who’s making the Super Bowl?

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