The divisional round is over, and the conference championship games are set! The New England Patriots, who dominated the Tennessee Titans on Saturday night, will host the upstart Jacksonville Jaguars, who survived a wild game against the Steelers. Will we see Blake Bortles, playoff savior, reappear in Foxborough? On the NFC side, Nick Foles silenced his doubters as the Eagles beat the Falcons. But despite being the 1-seed, Philadelphia could be the underdog once more when they host the Vikings, who look poised to put their playoff demons to bed after Case Keenum hit Stefon Diggs for a last-second, 61-yard TD in a game for the ages against the Saints on Sunday.
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Everything You Need to Know About the Divisional Round
The Patriots want blood, the Vikings want to make history, and Eagles fans just want to make the championship game
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January 15, 2018
An Almost-Perfect Playoff Weekend
Robert Mays and Kevin Clark recap a thrilling set of games and discuss the Titans letting go of Mike Mularkey
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January 15, 2018
NFL Divisional-Round Recap: The Vikings Finally Have Their Forever Moment
Case Keenum’s miraculous touchdown heave to Stefon Diggs did more than just lift Minnesota past the Saints. It brought catharsis to a team and fan base long on the wrong side of iconic playoff heartbreak. Plus, Blake Bortles stuns the Steelers, and the Eagles win as home underdogs.
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January 15, 2018
The Winners and Losers From the NFL’s Divisional Round
The Saints fell victim to an instant-classic play, Calais Campbell predicted the Jags’ win, and two former St. Louis Rams are facing off in the NFC championship
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January 14, 2018
Drew Brees’s Classic Performance Against the Vikings Is Still Worth Celebrating
Though it was ultimately all for naught, the future Hall of Famer had a second half for the ages in Minnesota
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January 14, 2018
On the Other Side of the Vikings’ Miracle Is the Saints’ Nightmare
Marcus Williams’s whiff on a would-be tackle will put him in the history books for all the wrong reasons
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January 14, 2018
The Steelers’ Defense Stung the Killer Bs
Pittsburgh’s defensive collapse against Blake Bortles and the Jags may have prematurely ended the Ben Roethlisberger, Le’Veon Bell, and Antonio Brown era
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January 14, 2018
Minnesota’s Stefon Diggs and Case Keenum Just Pulled Off a Miracle
Diggs sent the Vikings to the NFC championship with one of the best plays this century
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January 14, 2018
The 20 Wildest Moments From the Steelers-Jaguars Game
"Blake Bortles advances to AFC championship game" isn’t even the half of it
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January 14, 2018
Blake Bortles Is Here to Save the Playoffs
He’s more meme than QB, but with a win against the Steelers in the books and a matchup with the Patriots looming, he’s our best hope for an end to AFC monotony
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January 14, 2018
Marcus Mariota Deserves More Than the “Exotic Smashmouth” Offense
The Titans’ loss to the Patriots perfectly exemplified Mike Mularkey’s outdated offensive system—and why it doesn’t work for the team’s franchise quarterback
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January 14, 2018
Eight Numbers That Explain the Patriots’ Utter Domination of the Titans
New England is going to its seventh-straight AFC championship game after a sound takedown of Tennessee
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January 13, 2018
Nick Foles’s Doubters Will Have to Wait at Least Another Week to Gloat
Carson Wentz’s replacement wasn’t epic against the Falcons, but he was competent enough to advance the Eagles to the NFC championship game
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January 13, 2018
Nothing Worked for the Falcons’ Offense When They Needed It To
Offensive coordinator Steve Sarkisian’s negative effect on what was previously the most dynamic offense in football was clear all season—and impossible to ignore on the closing series against the Eagles
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January 12, 2018
‘GM Street’ Friday Focus: Divisional Round
Plus: the Jon Gruden press conference and coaching shake-ups in Buffalo
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January 12, 2018
Deion Jones Transformed the Falcons Defense—and Could Do the Same to the NFC Playoffs
Atlanta’s second-year linebacker has always boasted absurd athleticism. Now that he’s also developed uncommon instincts, he’s become one of the most game-changing defensive players in the NFL.
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January 12, 2018
The Story That Tried to Divide Brady and Belichick
Sixteen years into an unprecedented run, the New England Patriots stronghold is rumored to be weakening. What are we supposed to believe? Plus: NFL divisional-round playoff picks.
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January 12, 2018
The Secret to the 2017 Philadelphia Eagles Is Fargo, North Dakota
While they’ll be without their star quarterback for the playoffs, the Philadelphia Eagles receivers credit their team’s success to a trip they took to Carson Wentz’s hometown over the summer.
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January 11, 2018
Lessons From the Worst Game of Ben Roethlisberger’s Career
The Pittsburgh quarterback will need to avoid the mistakes from his last performance against the Jaguars defense for the Steelers to have any chance of advancing to the AFC championship game
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January 11, 2018
NFL Divisional Round: Best Bets With Cousin Sal
Find out who Cousin Sal is loading up on this weekend
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January 11, 2018
Welcome to Our Favorite Weekend on the Sports Calendar
Get ready for the NFL divisional round
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January 11, 2018
Blake Bortles Is the True Wild Card of the NFL Playoffs
The Jaguars quarterback has looked everything from horrific to downright competent this season, and on the days when the good Bortles shows up, Jacksonville can be a playoff force
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January 10, 2018
The NFL Divisional Round Glossary
From TB12 to Jason Mendoza, exotic smashmouth to Duck, Duck, Gray Duck, here are the nine people, terms, and concepts you need to know heading into this weekend’s games
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January 10, 2018
Dion Lewis Could Be the Patriots’ Offensive X Factor
The former NFL journeyman has emerged as a bona fide every-down back and helped New England field one of the most successful rushing offenses in the league over the back half of the season
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January 9, 2018
‘No Bull’ With Michael Lombardi, NFL Playoffs: Divisional Round
Lambo picks the teams with the best chance to pull an upset this weekend and decides whether Tommy Wiseau could start for the Jags
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January 9, 2018
How the Rising Salary Cap Explains the NFL Playoffs
Football’s newest market inefficiency—spending big on free agents—used to be seen the opposite way