-Eagles

How Healthy is Jalen Hurts?

• Jalen Hurts has had an MVP-caliber season, and went 14-1 in the 15 games he started this season. He threw for 3,701 yards with 22 TD's and just 6 INT's while completing 66.5 % of his passes. He was also electric in the ground game, rushing 165 times for 760 yards and 13 TD's. He became the first player in NFL history to throw for 20+ TD's, rush for 10+ TD's, and throw fewer than 10 INT's. As good as Hurts was this season, the Defense was arguably just as strong. They led the league in sacks in 2022 with 70, and through Week 17 were on a streak of five straight games with 6+ sacks which is the longest such streak all-time. They were 2nd in the league in total defense allowing just 301.5 yards per game, and forced 27 turnovers(5th). 53 of their 70 sacks came with just a "4-man" rush, which is 15 more sacks with a "4-man" rush than any other team, in a single season, since such stats have been tracked. However, in the two games that Hurts missed, the Philly D gave up a combined 60 points and 732 yards. They were 0-2 in those contests. One of the biggest issues in those games were turnovers resulting in a short field for opposing offenses. The Eagles turned the ball over just 13 times in it's first 14 games, but turned it over 5 times in the two games that Hurts missed including 4 against the Cowboys. As of right now, it looks as though Hurts will be ready to go after their first-round bye, but if he gets banged up and has to exit a game for any reason, this offense takes a major step back. For the Eagles to make a real run at the Lombardi Trophy, they will need their best player on the field performing at the elite level he has all season.

-49ers

Do they have enough offense to make a deep run?

• Historically, Kyle Shanahan's offenses have not been great in the post-season. In his six career playoff games as a Head Coach his offenses have averaged a very modest 21.7 points per game, with his QB's accounting for a total of 4 TD's and 6 INT's. Brock Purdy was the very last pick in the 2022 NFL Draft and has filled in admirably after the 49ers lost not one, but two starting QB's to season-ending injuries this season. Since Jimmy Garoppolo got hurt in Week 13, Purdy has thrown for 1,374 yards with 13 TD's and only 4 INT's while completing 67% of his passes. He has been very efficient with the football, and really made it easier on that exceptional 49ers defense by not turning the ball over and putting his team in tough spots. The San Francisco defense is the best in the league, leading the NFL in total defense(300.6 ypg) and points allowed per game(16.3 ppg). Shanahan's teams have won play-off games with defense. His defenses have forced at least 1 turnover in each of his 6 career play-off games, and allowed points on just 31% of opponent drives. However, this hasn't translated into an NFL Title. The 49ers will assuredly face some very good QB's in these playoffs, and I'm not sure that Purdy can take over a game and win it for his team if he gets put in that spot. As great as the defense is, if they can't score with some of the more top-tier offenses in the league, they may find themselves in a hole at some point that they can't climb out of.

-Vikings

Will Kirk Cousins lead the Vikings to the "Promised Land"?

• Kirk Cousins passed for 4,547 yards and 29 TD's this season. Both of which were among the league leaders in those categories. He completed 65.9% of his passes, but also had 14 INT's. Cousins 13 TD passes in the 4th quarter and overtime were tied for the league lead with Tom Brady. However, his QBR of 49.8 ranked him 23rd in the league, just ahead of Ryan Tannehill and right behind Matthew Stafford. His average yards per attempt was a very pedestrian 7.07, which ranks 15th in the league. When he targeted anyone but Justin Jefferson, that average dropped to 6.1 yards per attempt. That figure alone would be 2nd to last in the NFL, ahead of only Kyler Murray. Now a reason for optimism is that Minnesota has won an NFL record 11 games this season decided by one score or less, but the Vikings D has ranked last in the league in yards allowed per game for most of the season. The only thing that has saved them is the fact the defense has been exceptionally good at the end of games. They're 3rd in the NFL with a plus-9 turnover margin on drives that have started in the 4th quarter or Overtime. It's clear this team knows how to win in a close game, but Cousins has shown a tendency to struggle in big games throughout his career. For this team to be successful, they'll need their field general clicking on all cylinders down the stretch. If he isn't, I'm not sure this defense is consistently good enough to shut down the offenses they'll encounter in the post-season.

-Buccaneers

Can they stay out of their own way?

• A theme of Tampa Bay's 2022 season has been that they constantly seem to "shoot themselves in the foot". The Bucs had 29 dropped passes this season, tied for the 2nd worst mark in the league. They lost 12 fumbles this season ranking 27th in the NFL, and turned the ball over on 10.3% of their offensive possessions(23rd). The offense was only able to muster 1.60 points per drive(26th), converted just 37.4% of 3rd downs(21st), and scored TD's on just 52.0% of their red zone trips(22nd). A huge part of the offensive woes has been the mysterious lack of chemistry between Tom Brady and Mike Evans. In Brady's first two seasons in Tampa, he had 26 TD's and 5 INT's when targeting Evans. This season, when targeting Evans, Brady has just 6 TD's and 7 INT's. Now Evans showed up BIG TIME in the Week 17 game vs Carolina that clinched the NFC South Title for the Bucs. He had 10 catches for 207 yards and 3 TD's, but that was his first TD since Week 4. Although Brady has only been sacked 22 times this season, he has often been under pressure due to insufficient line play. The lack of time in the pocket has forced Brady to rely heavily on check-downs to RB's, or short completions to Chris Godwin. If the O-Line can polish up their mistakes and avoid key penalties in the red area that have haunted them all year, this Buccaneers D is plenty good enough to make a run at TB12's 8th ring. But if they continue to make the same mistakes they have throughout the 2022 campaign, it might make for a quick exit for one of the pre-season Super Bowl Favorites.

-Cowboys

Can Dallas get it done on the road in the Playoffs?

• The Cowboys have lost 8 straight road playoff games, a streak dating back 30 years. The last QB that Dallas beat in a road playoff game was Steve Young. They have gone 8-1 in games at home this season, but just 4-4 on the road. At times this season, Dallas has been top-tier on both sides of the ball. The offense ranks 4th in the NFL in points scored at 27.5 points per game, and 11th in yards per game(354.9 ypg). The defense has been equally as exceptional, ranking 5th in points allowed(20.1 ppg), and 12th in yards allowed(330.2 ypg). Where the Cowboys have separated themselves in 2022 is that they have forced a league-leading 33 takeaways, recovering 17 fumbles(1st) and intercepting opposing QB's 16 times(7th). The Dallas Defense has forced turnovers on 16.2% of opponent drives, and gives up an average of just 1.65 points per drive. Combine that with an offense that has scored TD's on 71.4% of its trips to the red zone(1st), and it would appear that they have all the tools to make a run at the Championship. However, their struggles on the road are well documented, and continue to be an ongoing issue with this franchise. They have to find a way to get that monkey off their back, and get some tough wins away from AT&T Stadium because they will, most likely, be on the road for the entirety of the 2022 post-season.

-Giants

Can they find some offensive balance and let Daniel Jones be "That Guy"?

• The New York Giants have been one of the pleasant surprises in the NFL in Head Coach Brian Daboll's first season in charge. A team that was widely picked by many to finish in the bottom half of the league, in the pre-season, went 9-7-1 and made their first playoff berth since 2016. Saquon Barkley, very well, might be the NFL's "Comeback Player of the Year" rushing for a career-high 1,312 yards and 10 TD's. He also tied for the team lead in receptions, catching 57 passes for an additional 338 yards. However, New York has been mostly one-dimensional on offense this year, and it's definitely hurt them at times. The Giants rank 8th in the league in rushing attempts per game, and just 25th in passing attempts per game. Daniel Jones has had a solid season, in his own right, throwing for 3,205 yards with 15 TD's and only 5 INT's, while also rushing for 708 yards and an additional 7 TD's. A big key for the Giants success throughout these playoffs will be the connection between Jones and his top wideout Darius Slayton. Slayton has 46 catches for 724 yards(15.7 ypc), but has only found the end zone twice this season. When Jones has targeted Slayton in 2022, he has averaged 10.2 yards per attempt which ranks 5th in the league. New York has also been one of the top red zone teams, on both sides of the ball, in 2022. They've scored TD's on 63.3% of their trips to the red zone, while allowing TD's on just 49.2% of opponent drives that have reached the scoring area. If the Giant's offense can create some opportunities downfield between Jones and Slayton and take some pressure off their ground game, it should allow them to stretch out opposing defenses and create some running lanes for Barkley. If they can't find some balance on the offensive side of the ball though, opposing defenses will be able to stack the box and take away what they do best. Traditionally, one-dimensional teams don't tend to fair very well against the better teams in the league.

-Seahawks

Can they get enough pressure on opposing QB's?

• In 2022, the Seattle defense was 7th in the league with 45 sacks, and 8th in sacks per opponent drop backs. However, Seattle's pass rush win-rate was just 33.5% ranking 28th, and they pressured opposing QB's on just 28.9% of drop backs(21st). They have forced 25 turnovers(11 fumbles, 14 INT's) which is 9th among NFL squads, but opposing QB's averaged 2.99 seconds before throwing the ball, the highest such figure in the league. They will face some of the top offenses in the league in the post-season, led by QB's who get the ball out quick and efficiently, putting pressure on the secondary to make plays in space. In games that Seattle has struggled this season, it was due to the fact that they couldn't get enough pressure on opposing QB's. With an offense that has turned the ball over 23 times(17th), including 11 lost fumbles(24th), the defense may be forced into some tough spots where opponents have a short field. If that happens, they will need to get to opposing QB's and force some sacks to shut down scoring opportunities. If not, I don't think the offense has been consistent enough to win a shoot-out style game and it will ultimately spell doom for the "12th man" and company.

Good Luck this Weekend!!!!

-Crickett