Falcons in wild-card round on Saturday (8:15 p.m. (And of course Nick Foles, who has started only three games.) Can the Vikings' improved offensive line keep Keenum clean against the type of pass rushes he'll see on the road to Super Bowl LII? 3. Entering Sunday, he'd been sacked just 20 times - fewer than any other quarterback in the NFC field besides Drew Brees. One of the key elements to Keenum's season has been the Vikings' ability to keep him protected. And as great as Case Keenum's story and season have been, we haven't seen him tested under playoff pressure. 1 seed, the prospect of having to win an outdoor game in Philadelphia to advance to the Super Bowl (which would be in their own home stadium, by the way) looms large. Reason for concern: Since they didn't secure the No. You wish they were better at generating turnovers (just 19 all season entering Sunday), but the defense is so good at limiting opponents in so many situations that it should keep the Vikings in every game. They had the second-best third-down defense and the second-best goal-to-go defense. They allowed the fewest points per game and fewest yards per game of any team in the league. Entering Sunday's game, the Vikings had held four of their previous six opponents under 10 points, and two of those opponents were the Rams and the Falcons. Reason for hope: The defense is an absolute monster. If they win that, they would play in an NFC Championship Game either in Philadelphia or at home against the Falcons, Saints or Panthers. If the Rams beat the Falcons, the Vikings would host the Rams. If the Falcons beat the Rams in the wild-card round, the Vikings would host the Panthers-Saints winner. 14 against either the Rams, Saints or Panthers. Path to Super Bowl LII: The Vikings will get a bye week and then host a playoff game Jan. Minnesota Vikings (13-3)įirst game: Home game in divisional round on Sunday, Jan. It's possible they have a plan for him in the playoffs that would offer a new dimension to an offense that needs a post-Wentz jolt. They got Ajayi to be a guy on whom they could rely for a heavy workload, and so far they haven't used him that way. The Eagles should have the ability to lean on their run game to control games, especially once they take the lead. That was a key element of what made Philadelphia different from the other NFC contenders all season, and without it they may be just one of several very good teams in the NFC field. While Foles looked great in his first game, he doesn't offer Wentz's ability to make chicken salad on third and fourth downs. Reason for concern: Don't know if you've heard, but star quarterback Carson Wentz tore his ACL in Week 14, and the Eagles are rolling into the playoffs with Nick Foles. They are deep and talented on both sides of the ball and can play a variety of styles and still win. Even at their worst, which they were against the Giants on defense in Week 15 and against the Raiders on offense in Week 16, they've managed to find ways to win. Their only losses entering Sunday (when they rested many starters in a home loss to Dallas) were road defeats in Kansas City and Seattle - hardly anything of which to be ashamed. Reason for hope: The Eagles have been the best team all season. Win that, and the Eagles would host the NFC Championship Game against either the Vikings, Rams, Saints or Panthers. Path to Super Bowl LII: The Eagles get a bye, then will host either the sixth-seeded Falcons (if they win their first-round game), the fourth-seeded Saints or the fifth-seeded Panthers. BUFįirst game: Home game in divisional round on Saturday, Jan. We hope you find it enjoyable and educational.Ĭlick the links below to go to each team: And if you're a fan of one of those 12, this right here is the document you want to clip and save - or whatever the 2018 internet equivalent of that might be.ĮSPN's 2018 playoff primer breaks down each team's path, looks at its chances and tells you everything you need to know about what your team must do to reach Super Bowl LII next month in Minneapolis. This is lousy news for 20 teams but wonderful news for 12. We have arrived, at long last, upon the NFL postseason. NFL, Minnesota Vikings, Jacksonville Jaguars, Kansas City Chiefs, Los Angeles Rams, New Orleans Saints, New England Patriots, Philadelphia Eagles, Pittsburgh Steelers, Atlanta Falcons, Carolina Panthers, Tennessee Titans, Buffalo Bills You have reached a degraded version of because you're using an unsupported version of Internet Explorer.įor a complete experience, please upgrade or use a supported browserĭan Graziano, senior NFL national reporterĢ017 NFL playoff primer: Bracket, schedule, Super Bowl paths, more
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