10 key questions for NFL wild-card weekend

Welcome to the wild-card round of the NFL playoffs, which features a standout rookie quarterback, the reigning Super Bowl champions, and America’s Team in action. That alone ensures that there will be no shortage of drama and intrigue this weekend, and that doesn’t even mention the other teams who have plenty of intrigue around them, too. The four matchups are all interesting for different reasons, and any upsets could significantly impact the road to the Super Bowl in each conference.

Here are ten questions to keep in mind when watching this weekend’s action.

1. Is Nick Foles’ playoff magic still alive?

Foles became the story of last year’s playoffs when he stepped in for the injured Carson Wentz to lead Philadelphia to the Super Bowl. That will be a taller order this season, but there are enough circumstances in common with 2017 that it feels worth talking about. Foles faces a tough defense on the road in Chicago, though he’s played well since taking over the job. The Bears’ defense will be a stern test. For whatever it’s worth, Foles will be the more playoff-tested quarterback in this game.

2. Will the Chargers’ road form hold into the playoffs?

The Chargers are 7-1 on the road, and given that their lone road loss was at the Rams, they haven’t actually lost outside of the city of Los Angeles this season. They’re probably the only playoff team not particularly bothered to have to go through the postseason away from home. How much of this is a true sort of advantage remains to be seen, but there’s no doubting the record. Their comfort level away from home could be hugely beneficial if it holds during the AFC playoffs, which they enter as a five seed.

3. Can Deshaun Watson be the best quarterback on the field during his playoff debut?

Andrew Luck might win Comeback Player of the Year and certainly deserves the plaudits that have come his way this season, his first year back from a shoulder injury. Deshaun Watson, however, came back from an ACL tear to lead Houston to a division title. He’s taken a bit of a beating at times this year, but the dual-threat quarterback has been a transformative figure for the Texans. Bear in mind that Watson was held in check to the tune of 267 yards and only one touchdown in these two teams’ second meeting, which could be a factor in how each gameplans.

4. Is Dak Prescott capable of outplaying Russell Wilson?

This might be the key to the entire game. Wilson is an MVP-caliber quarterback going up against a good secondary. Prescott is less consistent, but has showed flashes of brilliance over the course of his young career. He, too, is facing a pretty solid defense. The outcome of this battle may well determine which way the game goes. Prescott played well in his only career playoff game, but it was a loss, and he’s the inexperienced one going up against a former Super Bowl winner.

5. How will Lamar Jackson look in his playoff debut against a foe that’s already seen him?

Teams have had their struggles in trying to adapt to Baltimore’s new-look offense under Lamar Jackson, with the dual-threat rookie helping change the trajectory of the Ravens’ season. He has, in fact, already beaten these Chargers on the road late in the season. That leads to an interesting wrinkle: not only will this be Jackson’s playoff debut, but it will be the first time he makes a start against a team that has already seen him. What kind of adjustments the Chargers make — and how effective they are — will be worth watching.

6. Can the Eagles contain Khalil Mack and the rest of the Chicago defense?

Last season, it was the Eagles who boasted a fierce pass rush on their way to a Super Bowl win. This season, it may well be the Chicago Bears, whose defense is anchored by Khalil Mack as the head of a talented unit. With the Eagles on the receiving end of that rush, the pressure will be on their offensive line to keep Nick Foles on his feet in this one. Given how many quarterbacks have struggled with this defense this year, it may prove a difficult task.

7. Will the Colts’ improved offensive line be able to protect Andrew Luck?

One of the biggest points of emphasis from Colts general manager Chris Ballard was to improve his team’s situation in the trenches. It worked, as Andrew Luck was sacked just 18 times this year, and only Drew Brees was sacked fewer times among quarterbacks who started at least 10 games. It’s worth noting, however, that the Texans inflicted six of those 18 sacks, with Jadeveon Clowney and J.J. Watt huge threats to Luck. So much of Indianapolis’ success this season has come from keeping Luck on his feet to make plays. That must continue here.

8. Will Dallas simply ride home field advantage to the divisional round?

Dallas won seven of its eight home games this season, so it’s fair to say that Arlington is a tough place to go and win, even for a Seattle Seahawks team that held their own at 4-4 on the road. The Cowboys have had one of the more pronounced gaps in home and road form in the league, so being able to play at home at least once is a huge relief to them. They may simply hope the crowd can pump them up enough to win this one, though they’ll have to be sharp against Russell Wilson.

9. What have the Chargers learned from their late-season loss to Baltimore?

The Chargers’ 22-10 loss to Baltimore in Week 16 featured what was comfortably their worst performance of the season offensively, with Philip Rivers held to just 181 yards passing. That will obviously have to be improved upon if the Chargers expect to win this game. Rivers took four sacks and was intercepted twice, and you can bet he’s watched a lot of tape and thought a lot about why that would have happened. That’s especially true when a repeat performance would end his season.

10. How will a young Trubisky-led Bears team respond to their first playoff game?

A late-season injury scare is now behind Trubisky, who will be the third starting quarterback making his playoff debut this weekend along with Lamar Jackson and Deshaun Watson. Trubisky has been the least electrifying of the three, but has been plenty good enough from Chicago’s standpoint, throwing for over 3,000 yards and 24 touchdowns to 12 interceptions. Overall, though, while Bears players have playoff experience, this is the team’s first playoff appearance since 2010. Even longtime Bears are going to be inexperienced here, and we’ll see how much that matters against a battle-tested Philadelphia team defending its Super Bowl crown.