The undefeated Michigan Wrestling team traveled down to Columbus this past Friday to face the Buckeyes. The Buckeyes were also undefeated and ranked number two in the country with the Wolverines ranked number six. The Buckeyes were favored over Michigan, but Michigan had some key matches that lead to the victory over the out of state rival.
Michigan started off strong with sophomore, Drew Mattin, successfully winning the 133 weight class match against OSU freshman, Malik Heinselman. Mattin won 12-6 with four total takedowns. Next, undefeated Wolverine, number one in the country, Stevan Micic went against Luke Pletcher, who was ranked number six. Micic started dominating Pletcher right away to prove that he was not ranked number one for no reason. Micic easily won 14-1 pushing the Wolverines above the Buckeyes early on in the match. Ohio State did not let this big lead hold for long though, as their next two players both took their Wolverine competitors down.
After intermission, Michigan was only ahead by one point. Alec Pantaleo upset OSU’s sixth ranked Ke-shawn Hayes with a 3-2 win. Pantaleo recently just returned back into the line-up after being ill all last semester and has won three out of his last four matches against higher ranked opponents. Logan Massa and Myles Amine continued to add to the Wolverines points by defeating both of their opponents. Massa beat his opponent 7-2 with a two minute and ten second riding time. Amine’s opponent was not as easy. Amine versused Ethan Smith and held the match even at 2-2 until a third period take down led him to a victorious 3-2.
Before the final round, the Buckeyes were in the lead by one. The determining factor on who won this overall match relied on the next heavyweight competition between Mason Parris and OSU’s nineteenth ranked, Chase Singletary. Parris got takedowns in the second and third period which lead to the 6-3 decision over Singletary and raised the Wolverines 19-17 over the Buckeyes. Michigan gave OSU their first loss of the season and remains undefeated. This Friday, the Wolverines head to Penn State to verse the number one ranked Cougars. Hopefully, they can continue off this momentum to take down another highly ranked opponent in their home.

Written by: Vanessa Litchard

HE IS BACK. HE IS BACK. HE IS BACK. HE IS BACK. HE IS BACK. HE IS BACK. HE IS BACK. HE IS BACK. HE IS BACK. HE IS BACK. HE IS BACK. HE IS BACK. HE IS BACK. HE IS BACK. HE IS BACK. HE IS BACK. HE IS BACK. HE IS BACK. HE IS BACK. HE IS BACK. HE IS BACK. HE IS BACK. HE IS BACK. HE IS BACK. HE IS BACK. HE IS BACK. HE IS BACK. HE IS BACK. HE IS BACK. HE IS BACK. HE IS BACK.HE IS BACK. HE IS BACK. HE IS BACK. HE IS BACK.HE IS BACK. HE IS BACK. HE IS BACK. HE IS BACK. HE IS BACK. HE IS BACK.HE IS BACK. HE IS BACK. HE IS BACK.HE IS BACK. HE IS BACK. HE IS BACK.HE IS BACK. HE IS BACK.HE IS BACK. HE IS BACK. HE IS BACK. 

The best golfer in the history of the sport is back and ready for action this week, for the first time since his victory at the Tour Champtionship 126 days ago. Tiger Woods will open his 2019 season the usual way by competing in The Farmer's Insurance Open at Torrey Pines, a course he has won at 7 times on the PGA Tour.  Woods has started most of his seasons at Torrey Pines so what makes this year different? 

• New Year, New Rules

2019 is the year of the rule change in professional golf. From a new drop height (instead of from the shoulder you can drop from the knee) to less ball looking time (instead of 5 minutes you have 3 minutes to look for your lost ball), the game of golf will look different this year. But there is no greater change to the sport than the new flagstick rule. Players can now putt with the flagstick in the hole, changing putting strategy for many players, including Tiger. So don't be surprised if the greens look a little more 3 dimensional this year. 

• Tiger joins the Taylor Gang

Tiger Woods will debut the newest Taylor Made woods and irons this week at Torrey Pines. The M5 driver and 3 wood are the latest and most customizable product to come from the producer of the best drivers in golf. The carbon fiber shaft and adjustable hosel allow for over 21,000 possible settings, one of which, Woods will be playing with this week. He will also be changing his irons up this year, using the P-7TW (a variation of the P-730). The custom set will combine Woods' historic precision with the power of Taylor Made's best clubs to date. 

• Tiger is (almost) the favorite

Last year at this time most golf fans were wondering if they would ever see Tiger Woods play competitive golf again. Coming off spinal fusion surgery Woods (ranked 539th in the official WGR) wasn't a sure thing. This year he comes in ranked 12th and has the second best odds (14-1) to win the tournament. How a year changes things. 


Tiger's on the prowl for his first major championship since 2008. The hunt begins today

​Image From of CNN

With the sting of their first loss of the season at Wisconsin weighing heavily on them, the Michigan Wolverines went into last night’s game eager to get back to work on their home court. Playing in front of a packed crowd at Crisler Center, the Wolverines took the court wearing black long sleeves with “The Dream, The Dream, The Dream” printed on the front of their warm ups, in honor of Martin Luther King Jr. After a dance tribute to Dr. King by members of the Alpha Phi Alpha fraternity, it was time for Michigan to face up against the Minnesota Gophers.
 
As the game started, the Wolverines struggled to find a comfortable rhythm against the Gophers. Three minutes into the game, Sophomore forward, Isaiah Livers, put the team on the board, making both of his free throws. Junior guard, Jon Teske, took it from there going 6-7 in the first half attempting to close the gap between Minnesota and them. The rest of the Wolverines, however, seemed to have taken a confidence hit as they shot 31.4% in the first half, significantly lower than normal. This allowed Minnesota to take the lead at halftime 31-28.  
 
The Wolverines came out a different team in the beginning of the 2nd half as Freshman forward, Iggy Brazdeikis, showed Crisler Center that he will not be beat again. Scoring a total of 18 points, 13 of those coming in the 2nd half, Brazdeikis made a noticeable difference in the game after halftime. Although Minnesota played well offensively with three players, Jordan Murphy, Amir Coffey and Gabe Kalscheur, scoring double digits overall, Michigan pulled off the W. With the game tied 57-57, Brazdeikis went up for a layup, missing as he was triple teamed. Senior guard, Charles Matthews, was ready for the shot as he rebounded and got the ball off with 0.7 seconds left on the clock. The ball went in and the buzzer went off. After a lengthy shot clock review, the officials called it good and the Wolverines remain undefeated at home.
 
The combination of their slow start and lackluster play allowed Minnesota to come back to tie the game, reminding the Wolverines they still have a ways to go to climb back up the polls. As the team’s third leading scorer, Sophomore guard, Jordan Poole, needs to bring the points if the team wants to remain a contender in the top 5. With only two Wolverines scoring double digits last night, the lack of top scorers was evident in the closeness of this game. The loss to Wisconsin took a greater hit on the team than most expected and with half of the regular season finished, the next games are crucial for this team to go into the Big Ten Championship with a high ranking. 

Headed into the weekend, the Wolverines go up against the Indiana Hoosiers again after beating them at home earlier this month. The game is in Bloomington, Indiana this Friday at 6:30 pm EST. 

by Daniel Thompson

Trevor Lawrence is the most valuable commodity in football. No one has demolished Alabama like his Clemson team since the ‘90s, and Vegas already gives him even odds to go first overall in the 2021 draft. Right now, he is the best pro prospect since Andrew Luck, and it remains to be seen if he will surpass Luck and become the most perfect prospect since Peyton Manning. Lawrence was a 0.9999 graded 5* recruit going in to college and was the second highest rated quarterback prospect of all time (since the rankings began in 2000), behind Vince Young, who was listed as a dual threat, not a pro-style QB. #TankforTrevor will trend many times during the 2020 NFL season, and teams need to ask themselves, “Where do we see ourselves in two years?” Then, they need to figure out how they can make sure the answer includes, “with the first overall pick.”


Are there any teams that shouldn’t #TankforTrevor?
Yes, the Chiefs, Colts, Eagles, and Seahawks all have QBs that should still be elite for the entirety of Lawrence’s rookie deal. They should continue to keep building around their QBs and share all the Super Bowl victories while everyone else is tanking. The Chargers, Saints, and Patriots should all see if they can squeeze anything left out of their aging elite QBs, but if they aren’t within a game of a first round bye a week before the trade deadline, it’s time for a fire sale. Every team that took a QB in the first round in 2018, should give their QB until the trade deadline to convince the coaches and front office that they are or will become elite, if the QB can’t do so by year 1.5, blow it all up. The 49ers should be in this category as well. 19 teams do not fit into these categories, they need to be working the phone lines starting now to acquire as much draft capital and ditch as much talent as possible.


Why should anyone else not tank?
Like Luck and Manning, Lawrence might not declare for the draft until he uses all of his eligibility in college. Lawrence did say in the post-game interview, “I want to win three more of these.” That was the right thing to say whether he thought about it or not. Unlike Manning and Luck, Lawrence has already won a national championship, and fellow Clemson QB and national champion Deshaun Watson was able to take summer classes and graduate in three years so he could declare early with a degree. In all likelihood, Lawrence will declare and make a team a competitor for over a decade starting in 2021.


Who will win the Lawrence Lotto?
Tanking, at least for more than a season, doesn’t really exist in the NFL. Head coaches and executives don’t have the job security to pull it off. The Cardinals, 49ers, and Jets certainly didn’t try to tank this year, while the Raiders came as close to The Process as any team, and are all picking ahead of the Raiders. So we’ll assume that no team boldly trades every positive asset for 2021 picks, and try to figure out which team will finish with the worst record in 2021.

Let’s use the Cardinals as an example. Two years prior to this season, the Cardinals were 7-8-1, with an aging Carson Palmer finishing up his second to last season, but also finished second in total defense and had the league’s third most efficient defense per DVOA. They started 2018 0-3 with Bradford as the starter and finished 3-13 with Rosen starting and struggling in the last 13 games. By the end of 2018, they had one of the worst offenses of all time by any metric, and their defense had regressed to 20th in total defense and 17th in efficiency. The Cardinals provide a good look at how a team can regress to the worst in the NFL over a two year period, but let’s take in a larger perspective. Here’s a table displaying where each of the last 10 teams to finish 32nd in the league finished two years prior.​

By: Jeremy Parks

Yes. Thanks for reading!

​​                The winds of change have reached F1 tornado speeds this NFL season. The NFC has been its usual Not For Long self, but even the AFC feels wide open this year. Tom Brady hasn’t played such mediocre football since maybe the 90s. The Steelers aren’t even in the playoffs. And Peyton Manning is still retired. 7 of 12 teams in the 2019 postseason weren’t in the 2018 playoffs. Only the top two seeds in both conferences are where anyone might have expected them to be, and not many of those who saw the Chiefs repeating as AFC West champs could have imagined this kind of season. The Eagles are the only other team to make the playoffs this year and last, and they needed a three game winnings streak inspired by Nick Foles AND then some help. Speaking of 6 seeds, the Colts also seem exceptionally dangerous for a Wild Card team. They’ve won 9 of their last 10 since starting the season 1-5. Only six Wild Cards have ever won the Super Bowl, but the Chargers are the 5 seed despite sharing the best record in the AFC. Perhaps the worst wild card team has an elite Super Bowl champion QB, one of the best coaches in the game, as good of a running game as ever, and a young version of his Super Bowl defenses. Wild Card weekend hasn’t felt this important in years. In recent memory, it’s only been a formality. In the last five seasons, the 10 1st seeds have made the Super Bowl nine times, and the teams hosting the conference championship games are a perfect 10/10. That’s not to say we haven’t seen underdogs. No one believed in the 2015 Broncos or 2017 Eagles despite being the 1st seeds until they had won it all. But this year I would be surprised if none of the teams playing this weekend make the Super Bowl. The AFC North champions have the most bizarre QB situation in the league, the Pats look mortal, Philip Rivers might never get a better chance to make it to the Big Game, Nick Foles has caught fire again; buckle up the playoffs haven’t been this fun in a while. Here are all 12 teams sorted by how great of story lines they have to offer.
 

1. Baltimore Ravens
The 10th winningest post-season QB in the 99-year history of the NFL is riding the bench for this team. Let me repeat that. Only 9 quarterbacks have ever won more playoff games than Joe Flacco. But he finds himself on the bench, as the 5th QB taken in this past draft has had the most team success of all of them, but the jury is still far from settled as to whether or not he can be a franchise quarterback. Despite not starting a game until Week 11, Jackson broke the record for rushing attempts by a QB. This Ravens team is probably as close as we’ll ever see to a triple-option team that we’ll ever see in the NFL. Many suspect coaches will find a solution to Lamar Jackson and this current iteration of his game will see less succes. The question is when will it happen? RGIII, who is on this team, led the most similar offense since then and everything all fell apart in the Wild Card round. The road to the Super Bowl goes through Kansas City in the AFC, and just a month ago we saw the Ravens take the Chiefs to OT, thanks to in their ability to run the football and keep the Chiefs offense off the field. The second reason they nearly pulled off the victory was their elite defense. This defense is great in a vacuum, but when combined with their offense, even Terrell Suggs manages to stay fresh with the way time melts off the clock. Can John Harbaugh become the first coach to stop Manning and Brady’s AFC dominance since John Harbaugh? Has anyone solved the Ravens’ offense yet? Will the sideline cameras collectively zoom in on the 10-time playoff game winner Joe Flacco if Jackson’s offense stalls? Will football fans get to watch four quarters of defense for the first time since 2016 this February? I’ll be glued to the edge of my seat as long as they’re playing.
 
2. New England Patriots
Tom Brady will almost certainly not receive an MVP vote for the first time since 2012. The Patriots’ best weapon on offense has been released just before the playoffs, and Rob Gronkowski now plays a position that more closely resembles an, “End” from the leather helmet days. They “only” won 11 games this year. Yet no one is going to rule this team out of it until they actually are done. Make of this what you will, but the Patriots only lost games to teams not in the playoffs. No other team left standing has beaten the Patriots, and they’re the only team that can say that. No QB-coach combo has ever risen to the occasion so frequently, and Belichick has this team playing defense at a passable level, which is something their much better selves couldn’t say last year. While he seems to have lost a step, Tom Brady has still been a top 10 QB. The Patriots have written the history of the NFL over the last 20 years, and no matter what they do this year it will likely be what these playoffs are remembered for.
 
3. Nick Foles
Nick Foles is not better than Carson Wentz. But he might be exactly what the Eagles needed. Maybe the heartbreaking loss to the Cowboys was a wakeup call, but maybe having Foles in at QB really seems to be inspiring the team. The new look Eagles already have gone in to Los Angeles and own and also beat the Texans. Nick Foles is expected to be playing hurt with some bruised ribs, so things could completely descend to pandemonium If Sudfeld enters the game. The secondary is so bad that Foles will have to call bring his A game to win games this postseason, and when he is on, it’s a delight to watch. The defense is coming off a shutout, and the defending champs are the definition of a wild card right now.
 
4. New England Patriots
Pop quiz: When was the last time a team whose starting QB was not Tom Brady or Peyton Manning earned the one seed in the AFC? It was the 2008 Tennessee Titans. Kerry Collins was their quarterback. They lost 13-10 to the 6th seeded Ravens in the divisional round. A Chiefs loss would in the divisional round would set the Patriots up for another AFC Championship Game in Foxborough with one more win. A lot of the fate of this season and the parity of the NFL hangs in the balance. The Chiefs are one bad Patrick Mahomes game from a total meltdown. This franchise hasn’t made the AFC Championship Game since 1993. Andy Reid hasn’t won a home playoff game since 2006. The Chiefs dropped two of their last three and didn’t look great against the hapless Raiders in Week 17. A healthy one seed hasn’t looked this vulnerable in a long time since the 2015 Broncos defied expectations and won it all. This team’s performance will reinforce or rewrite a lot of narratives.
 
5. Los Angeles Chargers
Teams like the Chargers are why the playoffs are so open this year. At 12-4, they have the second-best Wild Card record of all time. Rarely is there a Wild Card team this good, and it usually coincides with a huge favorite being the 1 seed. Instead, the Chargers have already won in Kansas City and are only here because of a divisional tiebreaker. Their path to the Super Bowl will be very difficult, but they have as good of a shot as any team to be the first Wild Card to make the Super Bowl since the 2010 Packers won the whole thing as a 6 seed. The other major storyline for this team is of course Philip Rivers. His legacy so far only makes him a borderline Hall of Fame candidate. He has great volume and efficiency numbers, but has infamously never made it to the big one. Warren Moon is the only Super Bowl era QB to make the Hall of Fame without ever winning an MVP or making a Super Bowl. With only 4 playoff wins on his resume, Philip Rivers can alter his public perception forever with a deep playoff run.
 
6. Chicago Bears
Da Bears are back! This team is a pretty known commodity at this point. They have the best defense we’ve seen since the 2015 Broncos, and they could cement their case for being better with a great postseason run. This Bears team feels like what the Ravens aspire to be like next season. Trubisky has been right around average as a passer, and is 5th among QBs in rushing yards. Chicago’s three-headed rushing attack can control the pace of any game, and they could probably be marketed as the 2015 Broncos with an above average offense. This team has a better chance at winning a road playoff game than any team beside maybe Baltimore. Will the Khalil Mack trade end up changing team building philosophy around the NFL?
 
7. Seattle Seahawks
The Seahawks are back?! Ultimately, this team might not be talented enough to have a real chance at winning three (potentially just two) consecutive playoff games, but they definitely can put the whole league on notice with a short playoff run. They’re not as good as the 2012 Seahawks, also a Wild Card, but feel pretty similar. The Baby Boomers are the best NFL nickname for a unit since the Legion of Boom. The offense jumped from 23rd in team rushing to 1st in just one season. They’re young and feel like a mirror image of themselves from six years ago. Pete Carroll’s reanimation of this team has been a tactical masterpiece over the last few seasons. Oh, and Russel Wilson has the second most Super Bowl experience of all QBs left standing, and has never gone one-and-done in the postseason.
 
8. Indianapolis Colts
The Colts are the AFC version of the Seahawks. Except they are more exciting than any of their past selves from earlier in the decade. It feels like a whole career ago that Andrew Luck reached an AFC championship game, and because of that many fans may have forgotten his lackluster playoff performances. 304.8 Y/G, 9:12 TD:INT, 70.2 passer rating, 5.29 Net Yards per Attempt, and 1 4th quarter comeback. You might remember that 1 4th quarter comeback, it just so happens to be the second biggest comeback in playoff history. Take away that game and the numbers get more concerning. Of course, this Colts team may already be the best roster of his career, and Luck is unequivocally a great QB when healthy. That Jets trade has done them wonders as Quenton Nelson and Darius Leonard are already top three at their positions. This team has won 9 of their last 10, and much like the Seahawks, can fire off a warning round to the rest of their conference with a win or two. If Luck catches fire, they can become the first six seed to make the Super Bowl since the 2010 Packers.
 
9. Los Angeles Rams
The Rams are a very good team, with maybe more star power than any other team in the league. They certainly have made the biggest moves in the NFL ever since trading up for the first overall pick. My concerns about them are that they may have been built with the goal of winning over new fans and selling tickets to a new stadium, and that they lack star power at the most important position. This team is not very deep, and are very suspect to injury. They lost Cooper Kupp for the season and Todd Gurley will be playing injured. The Marcus Peters trade has not looked great in hindsight, and that leaves them thin at secondary. Goff looked like an MVP candidate to start the year, but has experienced an ugly regression over the last quarter of the season. He may be dependent on the great line and weapons around him, as well as Sean McVay’s schemes that coaches have certainly been dissecting. That is the complete list of bad things you can say about this team though. The last four games have been concerning, but they are still a top three team. If they mask these flaws for the next three games, they’ll probably win the Super Bowl.
 
 
10. New Orleans Saints
The Saints are the most predictable team in the NFL. They’re just really good, with a QB who has been elite for over a decade. Drew Brees doesn’t need another Super Bowl, but he would really like it, and it would further elevate him into the GOAT conversation. The secondary can cause problems the rest of the team doesn’t deserve, but outside of that this team is elite at nearly every position. There is a lack of great pass catchers outside of Michael Thomas. No team is more likely to make the Super Bowl, and they’re a joy to watch. There’s not a whole lot of intrigue surrounding this team beside the expectations though. What are postseasons without favorites?
 
11. Dallas Cowboys
The Cowboys may be the second hottest team entering the postseason. Having won six of their last seven, the Cowboys look revitalized since acquiring Amari Cooper, and Dak has looked like a different QB. The Cowboys have taken some risks on rookies with huge question marks the past few seasons and it’s paid off as Randy Gregory, Jaylon Smith, La’el Collins, and Jourdan Lewis have all been as productive as they were in college this season. But it does seem like this team already peaked with their 13-10 victory over the Saints at home. In 2016 they became the only 1 seed to not make the Super Bowl in the past 5 years, and that team went 13-3. They certainly can knock out a contender, but it’s hard to imagine an offense that has looked so flat at times winning two consecutive road games against better teams (presumably). This is also the Cowboys, so you probably feel strongly about them one way or another.
 
12. Houston Texans
The Texans are well-rounded, and a jack of all trades master of none team. The defense is very good, but won’t entirely shut down offenses. The offense has two of the most exciting players in the playoffs: Deshaun Watson and DeAndre Hopkins. Hopkins has the opportunity to make himself seen as the best WR in the NFL for the first time in his career, and Watson can begin to define his legacy as a QB. He’s the first QB we’ve ever seen who could forge a legacy of being a clutch in both the NFL playoffs and the CFP. JJ Watt is back and has an opportunity to pickup his legacy where it left off, and Jadeveon Clowney is still a freak of nature. Ultimately this team could be the best team playing this weekend, but there are few fans expecting them to make it out of the AFC, or avoid losing in New England again next week. The stars are the most exciting part about this team.

Image credit: ​http://images.performgroup.com/di/library/omnisport/d5/b1/mahomes-mack-and-kamara-cropped_1bt6rz5s8zi6l100ct2gn6xsg6.jpg?t=169440720&w=960&quality=70

This has been one of the strangest NFL seasons in recent memory. We saw Patrick Mahomes emerge out of nowhere to become just the third player ever to throw for 5,000 yards and 50 touchdowns, the Jaguars go from Super Bowl contenders to a top-10 draft pick, the Browns win 7(!) games, and the Colts rallying from a 1-5 start to make the playoffs behind a resurgent Andrew Luck.  Now, after 256 games, 17 weeks, and missed field goals galore, it’s finally time for the NFL playoffs to commence. In what’s arguably the most wide-open field in years, let’s take a look at the matchups on Wild Card weekend.

AFC Wild Card Games:

(6) Indianapolis Colts (10-6) vs. (3) Houston Texans (11-5)

Teddy: Both these teams overcame dreadful starts (Texans started 0-3 while the Colts started 1-5) to qualify for the playoffs.  The Texans went 11-2 after week 3 on the heels of DeShaun Watson’s stellar sophomore campaign (4,165 yards and 31 total touchdowns)  and a top defensive unit led by the two-headed monster known as JJ Watt (16.5 sacks) and JaDeveon Clowney (9.0 sacks). On offense, Watson’s biggest weapon will undoubtebly be star wideout DeAndre Hopkins, who hauled in 1,572 yards and 11 touchdowns on a whopping 115 grabs and, perhaps even more impressively, zero dropped passes, the only receiver in the league to achieve the feat.  That being said, Houston has few other playmakers to name after Will Fuller was lost for the season in week 8 with a torn ACL, and Watson will need receivers like Keke Coutee to step up on Saturday to keep their season alive. The team is also adept on the ground, ranking 8th in the NFL in rushing yards with Lamar Miller and Alfred Blue anchoring the backfield.
The Colts seemed to be destined for a top five selection early in the season when they sat at 1-5, but they have since rattled off wins in nine out of their final ten contests, with the only loss coming in a 6-0 shutout against the Jaguars.  Andrew Luck was nothing short of spectacular, throwing for 4,593 yards and 39 scores after missing all of last season. While Luck was impressive and is garnering a significant amount of praise (and rightfully so), the Comeback Player of the Year favorite’s resurgent season has been spurred by his offensive line.  The unit allowed just 18 sacks (best in the league), and rookie guard Quentin Nelson and rookie tackle Braden Smith helped transform one of the weakest units in the entire league into arguably one of the best. Luck’s biggest targets should be T.Y. Hilton (74 catches, 1,270 yards, 9 touchdowns) and Eric Ebron, who has finally realized his potential to explode for a season that saw him catch 13 touchdowns and haul in 750 yards on 66 catches.  On the defensive side, rookie MLB Darius Leonard will be the man to watch after leading the NFL in tackles with 163 and notching 2 interceptions and 4 forced fumbles. Cornerbacks Pierre Desir and Kenny Moore should have their hands full in the secondary, but have proven to hold their own with 8 and 11 passes defended and 1 and 3 interceptions apiece. Overall, this game should serve as a thrilling opener for this year’s playoffs, but ultimately I believe that the Colts’ stout offensive line and some big-time throws from Luck should help Indy continue their white-hot streak and book their tickets to Kansas City.
Prediction: Colts defeat Texans 27-23

Eric: This is by far the most intriguing matchup of wildcard weekend. These division rivals faced off twice during the regular season and each matchup was decided by a field goal. They both have explosive offenses and stout defenses. By all accounts, it seems like the Colts have the advantage. They have a more efficient offense and a statistically equivalent defense. However, I love the Texans’ big play ability on both sides of the ball. Deshaun Watson averaged 8 yards per attempt (a full yard better than Andrew Luck) and DeAndre Hopkins has 23 receptions of 20+ yards, good for 4th in the NFL. JJ Watt is 2nd in the league in sacks and forced fumbles, while the defense itself ranks 4th in points allowed, 1st in sacks, and 2nd in turnover differential. We all know the mantra “defense wins championships,” and with one of the best defense in the NFL and an offensive with explosive play capability, the Texans should beat the Colts in a closely contested battle at home.
Prediction: Texans defeat Colts 28-21


(5) Los Angeles Chargers (12-4) vs. (4) Baltimore Ravens (10-6)

Teddy: The Chargers, despite being the number five seed, are one of the conference’s biggest Super Bowl contenders, sporting a 12-4 record and narrowly missing out on the AFC’s best record due to a tiebreaker with the Chiefs.  With wins on the road against the Chiefs, Seahawks, and Steelers, Anthony Lynn’s club is clearly battle tested, with Philip Rivers having an MVP-caliber season (4,308 yards, 32 touchdowns) and Melvin Gordon (885 yards, 10 touchdowns) and Austin Ekeler (554 yards, 3 touchdowns) helping to pace a strong backfield.  In the passing game, Keenan Allen continued his stellar play with 97 yards for 1,196 yards and 6 touchdowns, while Mike Williams (66 catches, 664 yards, 10 touchdowns) and Tyrell Williams (65 catches, 653 yards, 4 touchdowns) remain dangerous weapons on the outside. On defense, rookie Derwin James notched 105 tackles and 3 interceptions, while Joey Bosa (5.5 sacks) and Melvin Ingram (7 sacks) help to anchor the Chargers’ dangerous front seven.  To put it in more basic terms, this team is stacked on both ends of the football.
The Ravens sat at 4-5 when John Harbaugh finally inserted rookie quarterback Lamar Jackson into the starting lineup after Joe Flacco went down with an injury.  After two straight wins, Jackson was permanently named the Ravens starter, and he has led them to a 6-1 record in their final seven games. Since the change, Jackson has wowed fans everywhere with his running ability as a dual threat quarterback, and the Ravens have upgraded their playcalling to integrate a college-like read option offense to suit the play style of their young star.  The move was clearly the right one, as Jackson helped the team clinch their first division title since 2013. The rookie threw for just 6 scores on 1,201 yards, but dominated on the ground, rushing for a whopping 695 yards and five touchdowns. Gus Edwards should be a factor at tailback after rushing for a team-high 718 yards in the regular season, and John Brown and Michael Crabtree should be weapons to watch in the passing game along with Jackson’s security blanket, tight end Mark Andrews (34 catches, 552 yards, 4 touchdowns).  On defense, CJ Mosley anchors the unit with 105 tackles, and cornerbacks Jimmy Smith, Brandon Carr, and Marlon Humphrey (all with 2 interceptions) lock down opposing offenses to allow the fifth-fewest passing yards in the league and the fewest total yards. Brandon Williams and Michael Pierce will team on the defensive line to anchor one of the league’s most fearsome interior units.
When these two teams met in December, the Ravens prevailed 22-10 in an ugly road win that turned into a defensive slugfest.  While the Ravens have proven they can win ugly, I worry about how Lamar Jackson will respond if the Chargers’ offense gets going.  It should also be noted that the Chargers have already seen Baltimore once with Jackson under center, and should be better prepared to stop their fairly predictable gameplan.  Los Angeles has already proven they can shut down better offenses with the likes of the Chiefs and Seahawks before, and I don’t see them letting Baltimore’s run-heavy offense down them once again.  The Chargers win and set up a date with Tom Brady and the Patriots in Foxborough.
Prediction: Chargers defeat Ravens 23-13

Eric: The Chargers are fantastic team that got stuck in a bad situation. Most 12-4 teams don’t play on wildcard weekend. In the last 10 seasons, only 5 wildcard teams had 12 or more wins. Most of these teams made deep runs in the playoffs, but the Chargers will be the exception. In their first meeting of the season, the Ravens won 22-10 in LA. They held the Chargers to 198 yards (only 51 on the ground), and allowed rookie Lamar Jackson to account for for 243 yards and a TD. Jackson has now played an entire NFL season and has the experience to read a defense. Baltimore’s wishbone-esque offense will keep the ball out of Philip Rivers’ hands, and allow the tenacious Ravens defense to stay well rested and ready to play. Speaking of the Ravens defense, they allow the fewest yards, second fewest points, and have an all around fantastic defense. But the real kicker, will be the Ravens kicker. Justin Tucker is possibly the best place kicker of all time (fight me in the comments later). He has made the 2nd most field goals in the NFL this season, has missed a single extra point this season, and converted 5 of his 7 attempts from over 50 yards. He is as automatic as they come in the NFL. WIth the Chargers’ stout red zone defense, Tucker will be the leading scorer in a low scoring affair, helping the Ravens move on to the divisional round.
Prediction: Ravens defeat Charger 16-14

NFC Wild Card Games:

(5) Seattle Seahawks (11-5) at (4) Dallas Cowboys (10-6)

Teddy: This is arguably the best matchup of the entire weekend, pitting two talented dual threat quarterbacks in Dak Prescott and Russell Wilson against each other in a matchup that should feature a plethora of offensive fireworks.  After missing the postseason for the first time in his seven-year career, Wilson finds himself back in the fold after a season that saw him throw for 35 touchdowns to just 7 interceptions and lead four fourth-quarter comebacks.  In the backfield, Chris Carson finally had the breakout season the Seahawks have been waiting for, rushing for 1,151 yards and 9 touchdowns. In the passing game, Tyler Lockett leads the team with 965 yards and 10 scores on 57 grabs, while Doug Baldwin scored 5 touchdowns and hauled in 618 yards on 50 catches.  On defense, Frank Clark (14 sacks) and Jarran Reed (10.5 sacks) anchor a strong front seven, while Bobby Wagner led the team with 138 tackles and an interception. The Cowboys, meanwhile, salvaged what appeared to be a lost season when Jerry Jones traded a first round pick to the Oakland Raiders for Amari Cooper.  Since the move, the wideout has become Dak Prescott’s favorite target, notching 753 yards and 6 scores in nine games. Prescott, meanwhile, has rediscovered his stroke after a terrible first half led many Cowboy fans to call for his starting job. The third-year passer threw for 3,885 yards and 22 touchdowns, and rushed for 282 yards and 6 scores on the ground.  Rounding out Dallas’ big three on offense is Ezekiel Elliott, who led the league in rushing (1,434 yards) and scored 6 touchdowns while also racking up 567 receiving yards and 6 scores through the air. On defense, rookie LB Leighton Vander Esch has become a key piece, leading the team with 140 tackles and picking off two passes. DeMarcus Lawrence (10.5 sacks) and Tyrone Crawford (5.5 sacks) should be factors on the line, and cornerbacks Chidobe Awuzie and Byron Jones have played extremely well in the secondary during the Cowboys’ recent surge.  This game should be the best of the weekend, but ultimately I feel that Wilson’s impressive postseason track record coupled with a white-hot Carson on the ground (3 100-yard games in December) will help carry Seattle to a close victory and punch their ticket to the divisional round.
Prediction: Seahawks defeat Cowboys 38-33

Eric: The Cowboys have already lost to the Seahawks once this season and I believe history will repeat itself in this wildcard game. The Cowboys have been inconsistent at best. Starting the season 7-1, they closed out 3-6, beating three rebuilding teams (the Jaguars, Lions, and Giants). Dak Prescott has been his usual mediocre self while Ezekiel Elliott and newly obtained Amari Cooper have carried the team. Dallas does have a top 10 defense led by rookie linebacker Leighton Vander Esch (3rd in the league in tackles), fully recovered linebacker Jaylon Smith (2nd on the team in TFL), and defensive end Randy Gregory (1st on the team in failed drug tests). They have a solid secondary that will make the Seahawks compete. However, the Seahawks offense has come alive late in the season behind the arm of Russell Wilson, the legs of Chris Carson, and the hands of Doug Baldwin and Tyler Lockett. Wilson has been one of the games most efficient QBs in the league down the stretch (5:1 TD:INT ratio), Carson has been like a bowl in a china shop (82 yards and 5 broken tackles a game), while Baldwin and Lockett have had magnet hands (a combined 75% catch rate and 15 TDs). Although the Legion of Boom has disbanded, Seattle has an above average defense, relying on a fantastic linebacking core of Bobby Wagner (4th in the league in tackles), former first round pick and freak athlete Barkevious Mingo, and up and coming rookie Austin Calitro. The Seahawks will go into Jerry’s world, soundly beat the Cowboys, and break Skip Bayless’ heart.
Prediction: Seahawks defeat Cowboys 28-17

(6) Philadelphia Eagles (9-7) vs. (3) Chicago Bears (12-4)

Teddy: It may not be 1985, but the Bears defense is arguably the best unit left in the field.  Khalil Mack helped transform the Bears into one of the best defenses in all of football after coming over in a trade from the Raiders before the season started, totaling 12.5 sacks, 6 forced fumbles, 1 interception, and a touchdown.  Akiem Hicks had a huge season as well, notching 7.5 sacks and forcing 3 fumbles to team with Mack to create on the NFC’s most fearsome pass rush duos. Rookie Roquan Smith led the team with 122 tackles and notched 5 sacks, while Kyle Fuller had his best season yet with 7 interceptions.  Eddie Jackson netted 6 interceptions himself, and ran two of them back for touchdowns.
On the offensive side of the ball, Mitchell Trubisky rebounded from a poor rookie campaign to throw for 3,223 yards and 24 touchdowns.  Jordan Howard (935 yards) and Tarik Cohen (444 yards) create a formidable pairing in the backfield, and Cohen should also be a major factor in the passing game (71 catches for 725 yards and 5 touchdowns).  Allen Robinson led the team in receiving with 754 yards and 4 scores, while Anthony Miller has flashed big-play potential on countless occasions en route to a team-high 7 touchdown catches. The offense has a plethora of contributors and Trubisky tends to spread the wealth fairly evenly, and the offense is a hard one to prepare for given the fact that no one receiver truly dominates the touches on the outside.
After Carson Wentz was shut down for the season in week 14, Nick Foles was called upon to lead the Eagles back to the playoffs, and he responded by leading the team to a 3-0 mark and qualifying for the postseason.  Where have we seen this story before? It’s impossible to see the Eagles as anything but a team of destiny right now: their star quarterback goes down once again only for their backup to lead the squad on a magical run to the promised land.  Foles was sharp in his five games of action this season, throwing for 1,413 yards and 7 scores, including a franchise-record 471 yards and 4 touchdowns against the Texans in week 16. After Jay Ajayi was lost for the season in week 4, Josh Adams has emerged as the lead back for Philly, rushing for 511 yards and 3 touchdowns.  Zach Ertz led the team with 116 catches, which broke the NFL record for receptions in a season by a tight end, to go along with 1,163 yards and 8 touchdowns. Alshon Jeffrey should also be a major weapon after a season that saw him catch 65 yards for 843 yards and 6 touchdowns, and Nelson Agholar presents major big-play potential despite his wildly inconsistent play.  
On defense, the Eagles are led by safety Malcolm Jenkins, who led the team with 97 tackles and notched 1 sack and 1 interception.  Fletcher Cox led the team with 10.5 sacks, and Brandon Graham (4.5 sacks) and Michael bennett (9 sacks) helped hold down the front seven with routinely excellent seasons.  The Eagles secondary is extremely banged up, and Rasul Douglas (3 interceptions) is currently projected to be the starting cornerback alongside Sidney Jones with Ronald Darby and Jalen Mills on IR.  
While the Eagles seem like a team of destiny right now, luck isn’t going to carry them to a second consecutive Lombardi trophy.  The Bears defense possesses the toughest challenge Foles has faced all season long, and their weak secondary should have Matt Nagy licking his chops as he watches film this week. The Bears are 7-1 at home this year with wins against the Rams and Seahawks, and they should pick up yet another impressive home win to send the defending champs packing.
Prediction: Bears defeat Eagles 27-14

Eric: After a miraculous super bowl run in last year’s playoffs, are the Eagles primed to win it back to back? The simple answer: no. This team is nowhere as good a last years. Due to injuries at the cornerback position, they have the worst defense of any playoff team, allowing over 350 yards and 22 points a game. Despite Nick Foles’ revival of the offense, the Eagles don’t play good enough defense to win. The Bears are the exact opposite. Led by edge rushers Khalil Mack and Leonard Floyd, they have the best defense in football, forcing turnovers, scoring touchdowns, and racking up sacks at an ungodly pace. During the regular season, they were a well-oiled, quarterback-eating machine. The Bears have “10 God” Mitch Trubisky and the dual headed rushing attack of Tarik Cohen (725 yards passing) and Jordan Howard (935 yards rushing) to produce the big plays their offense is predicated on. The only knock against the Bears is a lack of playoff experience, which I don’t believe will matter that much in the wildcard round. If this game wasn’t in Chicago, the Eagles would have stood a chance. But I expect this to be a total annihilation.
Prediction: Bears defeat Eagles 35-7

This has been a crazy NFL season and the playoffs won't be any different. There will be heartbreaking defeats, improbably victories, and (thankfully) no ties. As players, teams, and the league itself continue to make amoral or awful PR decisions, use this weekend to remember why football is still America's game. Remember the emotions it brings and the beauty within the game. And remember what Jim Mora said all those years ago...

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