The NFL is down to its final eight teams, and this weekend will determine which four will play next week for the right to play in the Super Bowl. That also means the league’s best will return to action this weekend after a little bit of a rest, setting the stage for potential upsets. Drama should be high.
What will determine who advances and who doesn’t? Here are some key factors to watch.
1. Is the San Francisco defense trending up again?
After a modest slide late in the season, the 49ers’ defense looked to be rounding into form again in Week 17. They’re now faced with Kirk Cousins and the Vikings, who will probably be feeling they have nothing to lose after a road win against New Orleans last week. The Niners stuffed Green Bay’s superior offense earlier in the season, and it feels like Minnesota will need an even greater effort than they did in New Orleans against one of the NFC favorites.
2. Can Mike Vrabel’s defense throw Lamar Jackson off his game?
The Ravens haven’t lost since Sept. 29 as their offense clicked into gear, and Titans coach Mike Vrabel has a really tough task this week. Lamar Jackson has proven tough to stop for more talented defenses than Tennessee’s. As great as Ryan Tannehill has been, relying on him to do a lot of damage against the Baltimore defense is risky. Vrabel could take cues from San Francisco and Buffalo, who at least slowed down Jackson, though both lost. The Titans face an enormous challenge.
3. Have the Chiefs figured out what they did wrong in their first meeting with Houston?
The weekend’s only regular season rematch has the Texans and Chiefs facing off in Kansas City. It’s unclear how much we can actually take from that first game, which the Chiefs lost while Patrick Mahomes played on a sore ankle and didn’t hit his typical heights. Regardless of that, the Texans can take confidence in knowing they’ve already beaten this team. But Houston’s defense will have to stand firm against a rested and healthier Mahomes. The Chiefs quarterback doesn’t have to be a lot better now than he was then to potentially flip the game.
4. Can the Seahawks overcome their hex in Green Bay?
The Seahawks have a long history with Green Bay. They memorably beat Green Bay in the 2014 NFC Championship, but that was in Seattle. The Seahawks have lost eight straight in Green Bay, including the infamous Matt Hasselbeck coin toss guarantee game, and are certainly aware of that record. Green Bay is not a fun place to go in January, and the Seahawks have their work cut out for them. They’ll have to play a perfect game to win.
5. Which Packer offense will we get?
We’ve seen Green Bay look great this year on offense, and we’ve also seen them look hopeless. The Seahawks will probably be taking some cues from their division rivals in San Francisco, who reduced Aaron Rodgers to one of his worst games of his career earlier in the year, (104 passing yards in a loss). Seattle’s defense isn’t that good, but they can be very good on their day. If the Packers play to their potential, they should win, but there have been moments this season where that has not happened.
