NFL Divisional Round preview: QB battles young and old, and of course, Nick Foles

Dallas Cowboys at Los Angeles Rams, Saturday, 8:15 p.m. ET (FOX)
No one felt sympathy for Dallas or its fans when the team was 3-5 and Jason Garrett was possibly one loss from the unemployment line —that’s just one of the consequences of being America’s Team. Similarly no one outside the Cowboys fan base is probably too happy to see them in this position: two wins from a Super Bowl appearance. What has gone right in big D? Mostly, the team has started winning close games, and Amari Cooper’s presence has allowed the passing game to come up to a much more respectable standard, if not outright flourish. The Cowboys stifled Seattle’s vaunted running game in the wild-card round, and now their challenge will be slowing down a high-flying, multifaceted Rams attack. Dallas must force Los Angeles to go up and down the field and not take yards in chunks, and being sure with tackling is one way to help that cause. In that sense, inside linebacker Leighton Vander Esch might be the most important player on the field for the Cowboys.

The Rams need to figure out which team they are. Are they the group that went toe-to-toe with the Chiefs in the NFL’s game of the year? Or are they the group that has looked human at times over the last month or so? Todd Gurley hasn’t played in about a month, so his knee should be as right as it can possibly be. L.A. will need all of his versatility to combat Dallas’ stout defense. Speaking of defense, Los Angeles’ is not the greatest group, at least statistically, but it does have Aaron Donald, and that might be enough. Donald has been a machine, registering 20.5 sacks on the season despite not picking up his first until Week 4. Despite his brilliance, the Rams rank only 20^th in points allowed per game. That said, they’re as healthy as they can possibly be, and if Donald can disrupt Dak Prescott and force some uncomfortable throws, there is a good chance L.A. can generate turnovers — and with them a victory.

Indianapolis Colts at Kansas City Chiefs, Saturday, 4:35 p.m. ET (NBC)
Andrew Luck took no prisoners against the Texans, who had no answers for Indy's fast start. Luck was sharp, in command and efficient in a first half that saw the Colts build a 21-0 lead after 30 minutes. He will need to be even better against the Chiefs because they will not be stifled offensively the way Houston was. Marlon Mack was the other story for the Colts against the Texans, and perhaps the bigger one. He shredded Houston's defense for 148 yards on 24 carries and provided the Colts with much-needed balance. Against a Kansas City defense that wants to come after the quarterback, that kind of balance can be a lethal counterpunch. Luck, Mack and the entire offense will need to be great, but so will Darius Leonard, Kenny Moore and the Colts defense, which was particularly stingy against the pass this season, ranking third in the league in passing touchdowns allowed.

Kansas City could be the boogeyman of the AFC playoffs, if it can simply take care of the football and find a little bit of defense along the way. A 9-1 start gave way to a 3-3 finish, with one particularly troubling trend: The Chiefs kept losing to good teams and beating bad ones. Unfortunately for them, the playoffs, by definition, are filled with the former and absent the latter. Kansas City's defense has been largely awful, despite racking up 52 sacks on the season. It might be better off hanging back and forcing Andrew Luck to sustain long drives as opposed to coming after him, given Indy's success at preventing sacks. The Chiefs need two things to secure a victory: no playoff jitters for Patrick Mahomes and the legitimate threat of a running game from Damien Williams.

Los Angeles Chargers at New England Patriots, Sunday, 1:05 p.m. ET (CBS) No team was more impressive last week, at least for 52 minutes or so, than the Chargers. Los Angeles went “small” at linebacker to solve Lamar Jackson and the Ravens’ run-heavy attack, and the Chargers dominated until they relaxed things late in the game. Philip Rivers and the offense weren’t as outwardly impressive, but they wore down the league’s best scoring defense, and their playmakers showed up when it counted. The Chargers have some of their swagger back and look more like the team that was talked about as arguably the AFC’s most complete during the latter portion of the season. Los Angeles has the star power on both sides of the ball to defeat New England. Melvin Ingram, Joey Bosa, Derwin James, Melvin Gordon and Keenan Allen are better than any quintet New England can muster. The only defined advantage that the Pats have is at quarterback, and that is based more on reputation than actual production this year. Stop me if you’ve heard this one before: If the Chargers play to their potential, they’ll find themselves in the AFC championship game. That’s the scary part.

Rumors of New England’s demise were greatly exaggerated, and they were entirely based on the Pats’ play away from Foxborough. Tom Brady and Co. are a different team at home, where they’ve won 15 straight. That alone makes things a tall order for the Chargers. The running game is a good barometer for New England’s fortunes. If the Pats crack triple digits on the ground, they’re unbeaten this year. All five of their losses have seen them fail to run the ball effectively and become one-dimensional. Part of that is a function of playing from ahead, but part of it is also a philosophical commitment to that aspect of the game. The more the Pats can be two-dimensional on offense, the better chance they have of making it 16 in a row at home. Oh, and there’s also the matter of them having Brady. With all the talk about the new kids on the block at the position and aging veterans having great years, like Rivers and Drew Brees, and Nick Foles just, well, existing, it’s worth remembering that there’s only one Tom Brady, and he’s still going to have his say.

Philadelphia Eagles at New Orleans Saints, Sunday, 4:40 p.m. ET (FOX)
Does Nick Foles have some sort of special power? Is he the ultimate playoff/big-game quarterback? Is there a Nick Foles Effect, wherein he starts to play very well, and the Eagles’ opponents crumble? The only thing we know about him is that the Eagles don’t lose in the post-season when he is under center, and he’s the most interesting player left in these playoffs. The question of whether or not he can do the seemingly impossible and lead Philly to back-to-back titles will go a long way toward being answered in this game. New Orleans is the best team left of the final eight, and the Saints pummeled the Eagles 48-7 in Week 11. But those were the Carson Wentz Eagles, and while Wentz is an objectively better player than Foles — I think — there’s something different about this Philadelphia team. Alshon Jeffery is more dangerous, Fletcher Cox is a force on the inside, and chances are that even if New Orleans wins, it won’t be easy.

If the Saints run the ball the way they’re capable, are opportunistic in the passing game and basically play like the team they’ve been all year, they’ll punch their ticket to the NFC championship game. It’s pretty simple, really. The only area where the Saints have been vulnerable is in the defensive secondary, which happens to be the one place where the Eagles are best positioned to hurt them. Cameron Jordan will be key to making Foles’ life difficult, and if the Saints can stop the Eagles from running the football — very possible, given their second-ranked rush defense — they should be able to score enough that the Eagles simply can’t keep up. The one thing that New Orleans doesn’t want this game to be when the fourth quarter starts is one score or less. Even if the Saints are up, there will be the creeping feeling that Philadelphia will pull out a win, somehow, some way. The Saints should win, and comfortably. All they have to do is play their game.