Some juicy rematches highlight wild-card weekend

http://www.thebearslockerroom.com/authentic-kyle-fuller-jersey , in which, well, just about any of the eight teams advancing wouldn’t be a surprise.Seattle beat Dallas early this season, and Baltimore handled the Los Angeles Chargers late. The Colts and Texans split two games. Only the Eagles and Bears didn’t face off.“That was a different time of the season,” says Seahawks defensive coordinator Ken Norton Jr., who played for Dallas. “I think we both were at different places in our growth for the season. I think we’re both two different teams right now.“They’re coming off of a win streak and the quarterback and the running back and the receiver and the whole offense is really clicking. It’s really challenging for us to get this together, but it’s going to be a really good game. They’ve been effective certainly on the run, they’ve been effective in the pocket and with his mobility. We have our work cut out for us.”All eight teams do in a round with nothing but toss-up games.The action begins with the two AFC South teams meeting in Houston on Saturday afternoon. The scene shifts north and west in Texas to Dallas for the prime-timer between the Seahawks and Cowboys.On Sunday, the Chargers come across the country to Baltimore, then defending champion Philadelphia is at Chicago.Awaiting the results are top seeds Kansas City (AFC) and New Orleans (NFC), plus No. 2s New England (AFC) and the Los Angeles Rams (NFC).Indianapolis (10-6) at Houston (10-6)Way back in the first half of the season, these were struggling squads. Houston lost its first three games before reeling off a nine-game winning streak to surge to the top of the division. Indianapolis was 1-5 and has lost just once since Oct. 14, when it fell to the Jets, of all people.“It feels like we’ve been playing in the postseason for quite a while now and I don’t think anybody’s approach will change in this locker room,” Andrew Luck says. “If you’ve played five, six, seven years in this league, you’ve overcome something. So there are a lot of folks who have overcome a lot.”The Colts don’t let any defenders get to their quarterback, a stunning turnaround. Last season, which Luck missed with a right shoulder injury, Indy allowed 56 sacks, most in the league. In 2018 with Luck: 18, an NFL low.Indy also has two sensational rookies in linebacker Darius Leonard , who had 163 tackles, and guard Quenton Nelson .Neither team allowed a 100-yard rusher in 2018. Texans DE J.J. Watt , who along with Luck is a leading contender for Comeback Player of the Year Womens Bryce Callahan Jersey , had an AFC-leading 16 sacks, 25 quarterback hits, 18 tackles for losses and forced a career-high seven fumbles, which tied for most in the NFL.“To be able to get back to the top level of the game and know that I still have things to improve on and things that I want to get even better at, it’s exciting,” Watt says.Seattle (10-6) at Dallas (10-6)The Seahawks’ 24-13 win vs. the Cowboys got them back on track on their way to an unexpected playoff berth in a rebuilding year. Seattle’s the first team with a 1,000-yard rusher (Chris Carson) and three men with at least 300 yards on the ground since the 2001 Steelers, and led the NFL in rushing. The Seahawks also led the NFL with a plus-15 turnover margin; their 11 giveaways tied for third fewest in league history.But Dallas, which has lost three straight to Seattle, with one touchdown scored in total, was 7-1 at home this season. It also will run the ball first with Ezekiel Elliott.“I just think over the course of the early part of the season, we learned a lot,” coach Jason Garrett says. “We learned a lot of things from the experiences we’re having and I think we’ve grown. Guys have played more, they’ve played more together, and I think we’ve benefited from that.”Los Angeles Chargers (12-4) at Baltimore (10-6)Two weeks ago, the visiting Ravens beat LA and moved atop the AFC North, which they then clinched last Sunday. Now comes a redux, and the Chargers will have top running back Melvin Gordon back, a real boost.They will need a balanced offense, with Gordon’s running complementing the passing of Philip Rivers, and a defense that can solve the speed and moves of Baltimore’s Lamar Jackson. Since Jackson replaced an injured Joe Flacco at quarterback, the Ravens are 6-1. Jackson and fellow rookie Gus Edwards give them a formidable running game to go with the No. 1-ranked defense in yards.“They just never let you get comfortable as an offense,” Rivers says. “It’s always something trying to keep you off-balance. “It’s going to be back and forth. There will be times where we pick everything up just right and do everything just right. There will be other times where we’re going to have to, again, manage all those things that they do so well.”Philadelphia (9-7) at Chicago (12-4)Thirty years ago, they played the “Fog Bowl” at the old Soldier Field. There isn’t a whole lot of clarity about this matchup Josh Bellamy Jersey , either.The Bears, paced by a strong version of the Monsters of the Midway, have been the better team all year. But they are generally playoff newbies, and they face perhaps the most resilient team in the league.Philly has been ravaged by injuries, yet here it is, making big plays on both sides of the ball thanks greatly to the veterans who had such a big role in its roll to the title a year ago: Nick Foles, Zack Ertz, Lane Johnson, Fletcher Cox, Malcolm Jenkins. The Eagles still have to produce on the field, but their credentials are valid.“I know how our team has really fought this last month of the season, last six weeks,” coach Doug Pederson says. “And it does give you a little comfort knowing that we’ve kind of went through this grind and we’re here now and we have to continue to grind and continue to work.“But I don’t think it’s any easier. It’s a different team again. Different set of circumstances. We have to travel. If we’re fortunate to win, we have to be on the road again. It feels different, but the excitement is the same.”There’s no shortage of excitement in Chicago, either. Under first-year coach Matt Nagy, the Bears have moved from last place in the usually difficult NFC North to the top.“I would say last year when we were playing good football, even though we had struggles within the team and struggles would be, you know, everything else was going haywire around us,” DT Akiem Hicks says, “but we were able to pull together and keep fighting. And there was no quit, and you saw that this year when we got into last minutes of the game and still fighting and coming up with those wins. You could tell that guys have that fight in them.” By now you’ve already read our special, and massive, playoff edition of Five Ten Questions With Bleeding Green Nation, to get us the inside scoop on the Philadelphia Eagles before they travel to the Windy City for a Wildcard match-up against the NFC North Champion Chicago Bears. BGN Editor In Chief http://www.thebearslockerroom.com/authentic-anthony-miller-jersey , Brandon Lee Gowton, did such a fantastic job answering all ten questions from us, that I had to bug him again and get his take on the three ways he thinks the Bears can knock off his Eagles. To be fair, I also gave him three ways I think the Eagles could win on Sunday, but mine we’re all a lie...Here’s my version of this exercise, and to see the three reasons that Brandon has for the Bears winning the game on Sunday, read on.Bad Nick Foles shows upIt may sound like I’m making this up, but Nick Foles is actually capable of having bad games. Look no further than the 50.7 passer rating performance he had back in Week 1. The reality is that Foles can be a streaky player. When he’s hot, almost no one is hotter. He’s getting the ball out quick and delivering accurate passes all over the field. When he’s cold, he can look absolutely awful out there. He’s leaving easy throws on the field and making some awful decisions, like his interception from last week’s game.Foles has been playing very well for the Eagles recently. Over the last three weeks, he ranks first in passing yards, completion percentage, yards per attempt, and net yards per pass play. But he also accumulated those stats before he had to leave Week 17’s game early with bruised ribs. If the Bears are able to hit him often, an injured Foles might resemble a standard backup quarterback more than a reigning Super Bowl MVP. Red zone defense faltersThe Eagles defense has been playing better as of late but it’s not an absolute shutdown unit. Jim Schwartz’s unit ranks just 23rd in opponent yards per play. The Eagles are typically going to allow teams to move the ball on them. But while they might bend, they usually don’t break. Philadelphia has the league’s No. 1 red zone defense. Opponents are converting touchdowns on just 44.64% of their red zone visits. The Eagles’ strength in this area will be put to the test by Bears offense that ranks fifth in red zone offense.It’s going to be difficult for the Eagles to keep up with the Bears if they’re scoring a lot of points. Philadelphia probably isn’t going to be able to score a ton against Chicago’s defense. Failing to get stops in the red zone also means fewer opportunities for missed kicks by Cody Parkey, which could be big for the Eagles. Bears have home field advantageThe Bears are 7-1 at home this season with their one loss coming to the Patriots. And the Bears were just one yard short of sending that game into overtime.The Eagles, meanwhile, are 3-4 in true road games this season (Jaguars matchup was in London). Two of those three road wins have come in the last three weeks, yes, but the Eagles had a lot of fans in Los Angeles and Washington. Eagles fans always travel well but I can’t just expect them to have such a dominating presence at Soldier Field.Another thing to consider is that the Eagles didn’t have to play on the road in the playoffs last year. Foles has never played a road playoff game. So when we’re talking about comparisons between the 2017 and 2018 squads, that’s a key difference. This will be a new experience for them.Thanks Brandon, we all hope you’re right about these!p.s. Do you guys think I should tell him that the Bears have a Khalil Mack?