Previewing Sunday's NFL wild-card games
Sunday’s NFL wild-card games feature two teams with 12-4, the Chicago Bears and Los Angeles Chargers.
The Philadelphia Eagles’ visit to Soldier Field brings back memories of the teams’ “Fog Bowl” playoff game on Dec. 31, 1988.
The Chargers, despite a better record, head on the road to face the Baltimore Ravens.
Here is a look at the games:
PHILADELPHIA (9-7) at CHICAGO (12-4)
Sunday, 4:40 p.m., NBC
OPENING LINE — Bears by 4
LAST WEEK — Eagles beat Redskins 24-0; Bears beat Vikings 24-10
STREAKS, STATS AND NOTES — Eagles have won five of last six this season. … Eagles are making 26th postseason appearance, trying to become third No. 6 seed to win Super Bowl. … Philadelphia advanced to NFC title game as sixth seed following 2008 season, lost to Cardinals. … QB Nick Foles is 3-1 in playoffs and was Super Bowl MVP last season. … Zach Ertz set single-season record for TE with 116 catches. … WR Alshon Jeffery had 843 yards receiving, his most since 1,133 with Chicago in 2014. He missed first three games of schedule with injury. … WR Nelson Agholor had career-high 64 receptions. … S Malcolm Jenkins played every snap on defense and 136 on special teams. … Bears posted their best record since 2006 team went 13-3 on way to Super Bowl appearance, loss to Colts. … Bears captured NFC North championship, made playoffs for first time since 2010 team won division. … Bears have won nine of 10. … Coach Matt Nagy has more wins than any rookie coach in franchise history. … Chicago went 7-1 at home after going 7-17 over previous three seasons under John Fox. … Chicago led NFL in takeaways (36), interceptions (27), tied for third in sacks (50). Bears had franchise-low eight INTs in each of previous three seasons. … Bears scored at least 24 points in 11 games, most for them since scoring 24 or more 11 times in 1995. … Chicago allowed 1,280 yards rushing, franchise low for 16-game season. … Bears gave up league-low 17.7 points per game. … CB Kyle Fuller tied for league lead with seven interceptions. .. LB Khalil Mack led team with 12 1/2 sacks, tied for third in NFL with six forced fumbles. … QB Mitchell Trubisky tied Bears single-season record with four 300-yard passing games. Trubisky compiled 109.7 rating over final three regular-season games, completing 75.9 percent of passes for three TDs, no INTs.
LOS ANGELES CHARGERS (12-4) at BALTIMORE (10-6)
Sunday, 1 p.m., CBS
OPENING LINE — Ravens by 2 1/2
LAST WEEK — Chargers beat Broncos 23-9, Ravens beat Browns 26-24
STREAKS, STATS AND NOTES — In first meeting, Ravens held Chargers to season low in points. … Chargers making first postseason appearance since 2013, Ravens first appearance since 2014. … Chargers’ 12 wins are most since 2009, when they had 13. … Los Angeles was third in NFL in yards per play (6.8) and sixth in points per game (26.8). … Chargers led AFC with 6.62 yards per play on first down. … LA QB Philip Rivers was second in passer rating (105.5) and is averaging 8.5 yards per attempt, which is best since 2010. … Chargers RB Melvin Gordon makes playoff debut after finishing ninth in AFC with 885 rushing yards. He had 1,375 yards from scrimmage, marking third straight season he was over 1,200. … Los Angeles WR Keenan Allen has 199 receptions over past two seasons. He had 142 yards and two touchdowns in last playoff game (Jan. 12, 2014, at Denver). Allen has three TDs in three games vs. Ravens. … WR Mike Williams has 10 TDs, becoming first Chargers receiver since Tony Martin in 1996 (14) to have 10 or more. … Chargers DE Joey Bosa has 5 1-2 sacks after missing first 10 games due to foot injury. … Ravens 6-1 since rookie QB Lamar Jackson took over for Joe Flacco. … Ravens have had Top 10 defense in eight of coach John Harbaugh’s 11 seasons. … Baltimore finished with 2,441 yards rushing, second-highest total in franchise history, and finished with franchise-best 5,999 total yards. … Ravens K Justin Tucker went 35 for 39 on FGs. He had two blocked and missed from 53 and 65 yards. Career percentage of 90.1 best in NFL history, and he has scored 141 points in each of last three seasons. … Mark Andrews had 68-yard TD catch vs. Chargers and led all rookie TEs in yards receiving (552) and ranked third with 34 receptions and third in catches (34). … Ravens LB Za’Darius Smith led team with 8 ½ sacks, including 1 ½ in last games vs. Chargers. … Baltimore S Eric Weddle had 19 interceptions and 6 ½ sacks in nine seasons with Chargers. … Ravens 7-1 in wild-card games, with five straight victories. … Baltimore has 19 players with playoff experience, led by LB Terrell Suggs with 17 games. … Suggs has 12½ sacks in postseason, third most in NFL history. … Jackson is first rookie QB to start playoff game for Baltimore since Flacco in 2008. Jackson, 21, will be youngest QB to start playoff game in NFL history. … Ravens 65-23 at home since 2008, second-best record in NFL behind New England.
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