The NFL is down to its final eight teams and historically this weekend’s games are viewership powerhouses. Last year, the NFL’s divisional round, led by a mega-matchup between the Buffalo Bills and the Kansas City Chiefs, averaged a whopping 40.0 million viewers, the highest audience number on record, dating to 1988. Kansas City’s win at Buffalo led the way with 50.4 million viewers, the most-watched divisional round game on record.

There are plenty of stories at The Athletic projecting what might happen this weekend. On the media front, Tom Brady will once again find the spotlight as Fox’s lead NFL analyst, but this week presents something that hits at the crux of Brady’s juggling between his analyst duties and minority ownership of the Las Vegas Raiders.

Last week NFL Network insider Ian Rapoport reported that Detroit Lions offensive coordinator Ben Johnson has been recruited by Brady to interview with the Raiders for the club’s head coach opening.

“Thanks in part to the involvement of Brady, who sources say personally vouched for Johnson and implored him to take the interview through his agent, Johnson spoke with them,” Rapoport wrote.

“Essentially, Brady recruited Johnson to interview.”

Rapoport also reported that “Brady was influential in the decision to fire (head coach Antonio) Pierce and (general manager Tom) Telesco, seeking alignment from him to the GM to the coach.”

(The Athletic’s Vic Tafur and Tashan Reed have essential additional reporting on the Raiders’ coaching and GM searches, both being informed — and influenced — by Brady.)

Lions OC Ben Johnson says he spoke with Tom Brady on the field before the Packers game. First time he’s met him.

Brady will be calling the Commanders-Lions game this weekend for Fox, while helping the Raiders find a new head coach and GM.

— Colton Pouncy (@colton_pouncy) January 15, 2025

Fox is airing the Lions-Washington Commanders game Saturday (8 p.m. ET, also on Fox Deportes) with Kevin Burkhardt and Brady in the booth. There is no other NFL broadcast with this kind of working conflict, but we already knew that. The conflict has already been written about, including here several times, and as we have reported, Fox has no issues with it, given it is happy to be in the Tom Brady business.

But viewers deserve transparency at a minimum, and what Fox Sports should do out of respect for the audience is have Brady and Burkhardt discuss — on-air — that Brady has been part of the process involving Johnson.

I expect the broadcast to address it in some form (Fox Sports brass knows this is all out there, and its top NFL team has a lead producer and director who are immensely respected across the industry), but how deep they address it, we’ll see.

From my perspective, it should not simply be gloss over it with a 45-second discussion. If you are going to own the conflict, at least be transparent with the audience.

A substantive acknowledgment and discussion of what’s going on would help Brady with viewers who might naturally believe his recruitment of Johnson will have an impact on how he discusses the Lions.

Beyond Brady’s analysis of Johnson and the Lions, what will this year’s divisional round bring as far as viewer interest?

We bring back the Watchability Index for another week, which rates viewer anticipation as well as predicts expected viewership.

Baltimore Ravens at Buffalo Bills
6:30 p.m. ET Sunday
CBS, Paramount+

Watchability: 10 out of 10

Why it’s watchable: The NFL has always marketed its sport through the quarterbacks — Manning vs. Brady! — and this game has the two leading contenders for the league MVP honors — the Ravens’ Lamar Jackson and Buffalo’s Josh Allen. You can’t ask for more as far as entertainment if you are neutral.

The two teams ranked second (Bills) and third (Ravens) during the regular season. The Ravens are particularly lethal on the ground — they averaged 187.6 yards per game. Highmark Stadium is loud and cold, a perfect setting for football.

Everything about this game feels massive and it’s why the NFL placed it in its most optimum television window.

Odds: Ravens (-1)

Viewership prediction: 47 million viewers

Los Angeles Rams at Philadelphia Eagles
3 p.m. ET Sunday
NBC, Peacock, Telemundo, Universo

Watchability ranking: 8 out of 10

Why it’s watchable: Hard not to embrace the Rams given the ongoing wildfires in the Los Angeles area. Puka Nacua and Cooper Kupp are a collective force, and when Matthew Stafford is on, he’s fun to watch. L.A. looked like a juggernaut against the Minnesota Vikings with a postseason-record nine sacks.

The Eagles have the top-ranked defense (we’ll see how the loss of Nakobe Dean affects that), an all-time asset in Saquon Barkley and “Inner Excellence: Train Your Mind for Extraordinary Performance and the Best Possible Life” working for them.

Lincoln Financial Field is a nightmare for opposing teams given Eagles fans are boisterous and belligerent. A late afternoon game in a great sports city. How can you not watch?

Odds: Eagles (-6)

Viewership prediction: 39 million viewers

Washington Commanders at Detroit Lions
8 p.m. ET Saturday
Fox, Fox Deportes

Watchability ranking: 7.5 out of 10

Why it’s watchable:  The Athletic’s projection model gives the Lions a 24 percent chance to advance to the Super Bowl, the best percentage among all the remaining teams. The model has them scoring the most points over the weekend, which makes sense given they led the league in points scored (33.2 points) and were second in total yards per game (424.9 yards).

Detroit is fun to watch, it has an uber-aggressive coach and has an America’s Team feel to it given how many people seem to list it as their second favorite team.

It’s great to see the Commanders fans get this playoff run after all the years of living under the Dan Snyder regime. Jayden Daniels is a lock for Rookie of the Year and plays like a seasoned vet. Plus, how can you not love a doink to win a wild-card game?

Favorite: Lions (-9)

Viewership prediction: 35 million viewers

Houston Texans at Kansas City Chiefs
4:30 p.m. ET Saturday
ESPN/ABC, ESPN+, ESPN Deportes

Watchability ranking: 5 out of 10

Why it’s watchable: Start with Patrick Mahomes, the standard-bearer for winning. The Chiefs have been the NFL’s viewership bell cow over the last couple of years (for good reason) given their excellence. (Taylor Swift probably helped juice the numbers, too.)

The weather is expected to be chilly and Arrowhead Stadium is chaotic when filled.

The Texans seem to live in the early Saturday afternoon slot, which tells you how the NFL broadcasting department sees them against other teams. Houston has the lowest expected points in our projection model, and the Chiefs’ starters have rested since Christmas Day.

Favorite: Chiefs -8

Viewership prediction: 34 million

(Top photo: Mitchell Leff / Getty Images)

Ohio State has looked dominant throughout the first-ever 12-team College Football Playoff. 

After knocking Tennessee out in the first round, the Buckeyes blew out the top-seeded Oregon Ducks in the quarterfinals. Ohio State then defeated the Texas Longhorns in the semifinal to advance to Monday’s championship game. 

Quarterback Will Howard will be under center when Ohio State meets Notre Dame in the highly-anticipated title game. 

Howard spent four seasons at Kansas State. However, he entered the transfer portal in 2023. In Jan. 2024, he revealed his intentions to make the move to Ohio State. Howard went on to have the best regular season of his college career in Columbus, Ohio.

The 23-year-old has thrown for a career-high 3,779 yards and 33 touchdowns against 10 interceptions during his first year at Ohio State. Howard has also used his legs this season, rushing for seven scores.

EX-NOTRE DAME STAR FUELS NATIONAL TITLE GAME HYPE WITH HARSH CRITIQUE OF OHIO STATE’S WILL HOWARD

This year’s Buckeyes roster features multiple players, including Howard, who are outspoken about their personal faith. Howard’s on-field interview after Ohio State’s aforementioned commanding win over Oregon at the Rose Bowl on New Year’s Day was one of many moments in which the quarterback put his beliefs on full display.

“First and foremost, I gotta thank my Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ, for giving me this opportunity to be on this stage in the Rose Bowl,” Howard said. “Younger me would be in awe right now.”

Ohio State quarterback Will Howard, #18, passes against Texas during the second half of the Cotton Bowl College Football Playoff semifinal game on Friday, Jan. 10, 2025 in Arlington, Texas. (AP Photo/Gareth Patterson)

Shortly after the Buckeyes were upset by their top rival Michigan in late November, Howard referenced his faith as he was asked to share his reaction to the defeat.

“I sat back and thought the opportunity that I have here and what I’ve gone through this year, the ups and the downs, everything has been for my own good,” he said via Columbus news station WCMH, before reaffirming his unwavering faith. “I know that God is putting those obstacles in front of us to grow us and there’s a reason for it. I’m going to just trust the plan.”

Will Howard, #18 of the Ohio State Buckeyes, runs with the ball in the first quarter against the Indiana Hoosiers at Ohio Stadium on Nov. 23, 2024 in Columbus, Ohio. (Jason Mowry/Getty Images)

He added that having an unshakable “trust in the Lord” has proven to be beneficial in his life.

“We got to trust in the Lord and lean on Him no matter what, through the ups and the downs,” he told NBC4. “I tried to just get into my Bible and pray a little bit. Just come back to the Lord and say, ‘I need You.’”

“When you come to Him in a humble way, it changes your perspective. I lay it down for Him and say, ‘God, I trust You. I don’t know why this happened but it happened for a reason. I’m going to trust it.’”

Howard and several of his Buckeyes teammates arrived at preseason workouts wearing “Jesus Won” T-shirts.

The College Football Playoff National Championship game kicks off at Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta on Jan. 20 at 7:30 p.m. ET.

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When Patrick Vargas was a 5-foot-4 starting quarterback for Garfield High in 2008, the Bulldogs stunned City Section power Birmingham 29-28 in their season opener.

Now, at age 32, Vargas is taking over as Garfield’s new football coach, replacing Lorenzo Hernandez, and he’s embracing all the lessons learned about overcoming obstacles and understanding the tradition of excellence at Garfield.

“It’s a dream come true for me, being a kid from East L.A.,” he said. “Garfield has always been the place I wanted to be, first as a football player, then as a coach. What coach Hernandez did was change the program for the better. What I want to do is continue with that leadership and do my best to take it to the next level.”

He’s also going to inherit a new turf football field under construction. …

For the third straight year, Sadie Engelhardt of Ventura has been named the Gatorade state player of the year in girls cross country.

This is a daily look at the positive happenings in high school sports. To submit any news, please email eric.sondheimer@latimes.com.