KSR NFL Cover Zero: Harbaugh/Tomlin and Division Playoff Matchups!

Hosts: Matt Jones, Drew Franklin, and guest analyst "Billy"
Date: January 16, 2026

Episode Theme & Purpose

This episode of NFL Cover Zero zeroes in on the major coaching changes shaking up the NFL: John Harbaugh’s move to the New York Giants, Mike Tomlin’s resignation from the Steelers, and the divisional playoff matchups ahead. Matt, Drew, and Billy bring their signature humor, banter, and deep football knowledge to discuss coaching dominoes, the perennial struggle of finding the right head coach, QB vacancies, and dive into predictions for the upcoming games.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. John Harbaugh Hired as Giants Head Coach

• Breaking News: The Giants filled the first of eight coaching vacancies by hiring John Harbaugh.
  • Drew: "John Harbaugh is the new coach of the Giants... I think it's the Giants best shot to have a good coach for the future that won't fail. John Harbaugh, you know, won't fail." (02:49)
• Other Teams in the Mix: Titans were runners-up.
  • Matt: "The moment he left Baltimore, my Titans were in the mix. I dreamed a little. I won't lie." (03:45)
  • Drew: "You're like the school that loses the recruit but gets the hat on the table." (04:27)
• Impact & Outlook:
  • Both agree Harbaugh’s a stabilizing, long-term hire for a franchise with coaching turnover since Coughlin.
  • Drew: "With the youth they have and already some good pieces ... he'll have them in the playoffs and he'll be a successful hire." (05:01)
  • Matt: "The moment Harbaugh is available, throw away the sheet of candidates. We have our candidate. Go get him." (06:42)

2. A Look Back at Giants’ Coaching Carousel

• List of past Giants coaches post-Coughlin: Ben McAdoo, Steve Spagnuolo, Pat Shurmur, Joe Judge, Brian Daboll—all with brief, mostly unsuccessful stints. (11:03)
  • Drew: "That's a who's who of who's not." (11:14)
• Daboll may still have head coaching potential elsewhere.
  • Matt: "I think we'll see him again." (11:41)

3. The Steelers’ End of an Era: Mike Tomlin Resigns

• Tomlin Steps Down:
  • "Mike Tomlin resigns after 19 years with the Steelers. He did not retire. Reports are he wants to coach somewhere warm." (13:17)
  • Matt: "That sentence says you're retiring. That's a retirement." (13:40)
• Debate on Tomlin’s Legacy:
  • Drew: "People either think he's a lot better than he gets credit for, or ... he gets too much credit for just being mediocre. Where are you on Tomlin?"
  • Matt: "I think he's still great. I'd take him if he wants to come on back." (14:13)
• What’s Next in Pittsburgh?
  • Steelers likely to stick with tradition of hiring coordinators, not prior head coaches.
  • "They've had three coaches in 56 years. All came in as coordinators." (15:22)
• Steelers’ QB Problem:
  • Middle-of-the-pack drafting makes acquiring a top QB tough.
  • Drew: "They're going to be just good enough to not really get a good quarterback." (17:07)

4. The NFL’s Wide-Open Coaching Carousel

• Candidates Discussed:
  • Mike McDaniels, Robert Saleh, Mike McCarthy, Kevin Stefanski, Vance Joseph, Chris Shula, Joe Brady, Arthur Smith, Jason Garrett, various NFL “legacy” names (Shula, Kubiak, Minter).
  • Matt: "There are names where if you have it, your odds of getting a job in football..." (27:37)
• Recycling Coaches:
  • Matt: "It says a lot if someone will rehire you. That alone says a lot about your character back in the building." (29:02)
• Drew’s Draft Theory:
  • Skip interviews and combine, draft based on aggregate rankings (e.g., McShay, Kiper).
  • "What if we just ignored all of that and I just took Todd McShay and Mel Kuyper and Mike Tanenbaum's ratings and I just use that, and that's how I picked, and I never talked to any of these people." (29:37)
  • "I think there's an argument that... you probably wouldn't end up with the best draft class, but I bet you wouldn't end up with the worst." (31:51)
• Bias in Hiring:
  • Drew: "There are scientific studies that show that companies do a better job... with no interviews, because when you and I talk, my biases come into place." (35:21)
  • Matt: "Too many of these GMs... they want to outsmart..." (33:30)

5. Division Playoff Matchups – Preview & Picks

[41:11] – Segment Begins

Bills vs. Broncos (Saturday, 4:30 pm)

• Both see Bills as favorites; winner likely goes to the Super Bowl.
  • Matt: "Josh Allen... this is your year to get it done." (41:48)
  • Drew: "I'm sticking with the Bills. Josh Allen showed me last week why I'm picking him." (44:11)

49ers vs. Seahawks

• Both heavily leaning Seahawks due to 49ers injuries.
  • Drew: "I'm big on The Seahawks here. 49ers... just pulling people out of the parking lot." (45:14)
  • Matt: "Seattle's defense... what they hold them to, like a field goal just two weeks ago." (45:30)

Patriots vs. Texans

• Texans’ defense got them here, but QB C.J. Stroud must step up.
  • Drew: "I think C.J. Stroud is maybe a notch below Drake May, but I think that defense is excellent." (46:53)
  • Weather could be a factor: "If it's snowing hard, then I'm flipping to the Patriots." (47:39)

Bears vs. Rams (Sunday Night)

• Both love the matchup, both reluctantly pick Rams.
  • Drew: "I want to be the first person to ever get the super bowl. Correct. But I'm still pulling for the Bears." (49:09)
  • Matt: "I love both these teams... I give the slight edge to Stafford, but I will be rooting for your Bears." (49:24)
• Fun stat: "This is McVeigh's 15th playoff game. It is the 15th different team that he will be facing." (50:21)

6. Coaching Hot Take: Kurt Signetti for NFL?

• Suggests the up-and-comer for NFL consideration.
  • Drew: "If you can't get Harbaugh or Tomlin or maybe Stefanski. I would hire Kurt Signetti. Why not?" (37:17)

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• "You're like the school that loses the recruit but gets the hat on the table."

  • Drew Franklin on Titans being Harbaugh’s runner-up (04:27)

• "The moment Harbaugh is available, throw away the sheet of candidates. We have our candidate. Go get him."

  • Matt (06:42)

• "That's a who's who of who's not."

  • Drew, re: Giants post-Coughlin coaches (11:14)

• "That sentence says you're retiring. That's a retirement."

  • Matt, on Tomlin allegedly seeking ‘warmer weather’ (13:40)

• “There are names where if you have it, your odds of getting a job in football...”

  • Matt, on NFL legacy hires (27:37)

• "What if we just ignored all of that and I just took Todd McShay and Mel Kuyper and Mike Tanenbaum's ratings... and never talked to any of these people?"

  • Drew (29:37)

• "I'm going to go live on TikTok and get random people to come hear how wrong Billy was."

  • Matt, on disputes over their touchdown picks (56:41)

Quick Access: Important Segment Timestamps

• John Harbaugh to Giants: 02:49 – 06:53
• Giants’ Coaches Overview: 10:32 – 11:44
• Mike Tomlin Steps Down: 13:17 – 14:45
• Steelers’ Coaching Philosophy & QB Issues: 15:13 – 18:44
• NFL Coaching Carousel & Draft Philosophy: 24:20 – 36:44
• Division Playoff Matchups Start: 41:11
• Bills-Broncos Preview & Picks: 41:36 – 44:26
• 49ers-Seahawks Preview & Picks: 44:39 – 45:43
• Patriots-Texans Preview & Picks: 45:48 – 47:44
• Bears-Rams Preview & Picks: 49:05 – 50:53
• Fun Stat Segment (McVay’s 15 Playoff Teams): 50:13 – 50:48
• Victory Bundle Pick and Recap: 50:53 – 51:25
• Weekly Corporate Touchdown Picks: 54:56 – 59:43

Overall Tone & Style

Conversational, irreverent, clever, and insider-y. The KSR crew keeps things moving fast, with a balance of serious football analysis and trademark self-deprecating humor and banter.

Summary for the Uninitiated

If you missed this episode, you missed insightful and entertaining takes on the NFL's top coaching vacancies—why Harbaugh landing with the Giants is a game-changer, and how Tomlin’s departure marks the end of an era. The show explores which coaches and coordinators are likely to get their shot next, humorously lambasts NFL “legacy” hiring trends, and applies a tongue-in-cheek “auto-draft” theory to the league’s talent acquisition woes. Finally, they break down the divisional round games, giving sharp and often funny predictions that combine analysis with fandom. The camaraderie keeps the banter top-notch, whether weighing the merits of ranch dip on Taco Tuesday or debating which host really picked Kyron Williams in last week’s contest.