The NFL and NBA averaged three top-two seeds in the conference finals per season, while MLB averaged two, and the NHL averaged 1.3.2 In eight of the past 10 NFL seasons, at least three of each year's four conference finalists have had a first-round bye. In fact, no season has had fewer than two top-two seeds in the final four. Overall, 30 of the 40 title-game participants have been either No.

It sounds like Joe Judge absolutely crushed his interview with the New York Giants. The Giants officially announced the hiring of Judge as their next head coach Wednesday. Judge had spent the previous five seasons as the special teams coordinator for the New England Patriots, where he also served as wide  receivers coach in 2019.

Whether Tom Brady will return as quarterback of the New England Patriots next season is still an open question. In an Instagram post to fans, Brady said ''I still have more to prove'' following a season that ended with the Patriots failing to reach the Super Bowl for the first time since 2015. A six-time Super Bowl champion, four-time Most Valuable Player of the NFL title game and three-time winner of the league MVP, Brady could become an unrestricted free agent for the first time in his career when his contract ends in March.

Whether Tom Brady will return as quarterback of the New England Patriots next season is still an open question. In an Instagram post to fans, Brady said “I still have more to prove” following a season that ended with the Patriots failing to reach the Super Bowl for the first time since 2015. A six-time Super Bowl champion, four-time Most Valuable Player of the NFL title game and three-time winner of the league MVP, Brady could become an unrestricted free agent for the first time in his career when his contract ends in March.

The New England Patriots have lost one coach to the New York Giants this week, and another one could be on his way to MetLife Stadium at some point. ESPN's Adam Schefter reported Tuesday that Patriots special teams coordinator Joe Judge is finalizing a contract to become the next head coach of the Giants. Judge will need to fill out his staff soon, and ESPN's Jordan Raanan reported Wednesday that Bret Bielema is "expected to be in the mix" for New York's defensive coordinator position.

EAST RUTHERFORD, N.J. (AP) — New England Patriots assistant Joe Judge probably is going to have to wait another day before finalizing a contract to become the somewhat surprising choice as head coach of the four-time champion New York Giants. The team and representatives for Judge worked most of Tuesday on a deal to bring the 38-year-old to the Meadowlands in New Jersey to revive a franchise that tumbled to the bottom of the NFL in recent years, a person familiar with the negotiations told The Associated Press. The person spoke to the AP on condition of anonymity Tuesday because the deal is not done.

The New England Patriots just lost two spots on their coaching staff. The New York Giants are hiring Patriots special teams coordinator/wide receivers coach Joe Judge as their next head coach, ESPN's Adam Schefter reported Tuesday. Judge already has informed Patriots head coach Bill Belichick of his plans to coach the Giants, according to NFL Media's Ian Rapoport, who noted Belichick holds Judge in high regard.

Tom Brady's uncertain future likely will dominate the New England Patriots' offseason. Offensive coordinator Josh McDaniels has head coach interviews lined up with the Cleveland Browns, Carolina Panthers and New York Giants and is a serious candidate to land all three jobs. Special teams coordinator/wide receivers coach Joe Judge reportedly is drawing interest from the NFL and college ranks, while defensive line coach Brett Bielema reportedly is in the running for an NFC defensive coordinator job.

He led what many consider to be best offense ever in 2007 when the Patriots went 16-0, however, when the story of the greatest quarterback in NFL history is told, his and New England's second act will be the most compelling chapter. The 2010s proved a decade in which Brady consistently and spectacularly defied Father Time. After a heart-breaking Super Bowl XLVI defeat to the New York Giants at the end of the 2011 season, a 37-year-old Brady authored a Super Bowl MVP performance three seasons later as the Patriots won their fourth title by defeating the Seattle Seahawks.

New England Patriots offensive coordinator Josh McDaniels isn't the only coach on Bill Belichick's staff drawing interest from other teams. The New York Giants have an open head coach job to fill after firing Pat Shurmur earlier this week, and they've requested to interview Patriots special teams coordinator Joe Judge for that role, per ESPN's Adam Schefter. LIVE stream the Celtics all season and get the latest news and analysis on all of your teams from NBC Sports Boston by downloading the My Teams App.