Plenty of perks at the top
Hurts, Eagles welcome bye to get healthy for Super Bowl run
Jalen Hurts couldn’t wait to get back to work so he could get some more time off.
Hurts returned to the Eagles lineup last weekend after missing two weeks with a sprained right shoulder and helped the Eagles secure the top seed and lone bye in the NFC playoffs.
“We’re the No. 1 seed and we are the NFC (East) champs and that’s the goal we set out to do. Now I can continue to recover and be ready for the playoffs,” Hurts said after leading the Eagles to a 22-16 win over the Giants’ backups in Week 18.
Hurts and the Eagles will watch wild-card weekend which starts Saturday when the Seahawks (9-8) visit the 49ers (13-4).
On Sunday, the Vikings (13-4) host the Giants (9-7-1) and on Monday night, the Cowboys (12-5) visit the Buccaneers (8-9).
1. Eagles (14-3)
Plan the parade: Hurts surged into MVP contention with one of the greatest seasons in team history. His 35 total TDs tied a franchise record and his bid to set several more marks was only slowed by a sprained right shoulder late in the season. The previous No. 1 seed to win the Super Bowl? The Eagles in the 2017 season.
Hold the confetti: The Eagles have been bit late in the season by injuries. They need Hurts to be fully recovered. All-Pro offensive tackle Lane Johnson has been out with a groin injury and several other Eagles are easing back into the lineup.
2. 49ers (13-4)
Plan the parade: The 49ers might have the
NFL’s most complete roster that fueled a 10-game winning streak to end the regular season. The defense was the stingiest in the NFL led by the league’s leading sacker in Nick Bosa and versatile LB Fred Warner. The offense hit a new level after the midseason addition of Christian McCaffrey to a group of playmakers that already featured stars George Kittle, Deebo Samuel and Brandon Aiyuk. Then instead of taking a step back when QB Jimmy Garoppolo went down, rookie Brock Purdy has led the 49ers to more than 33 points per game.
Hold the confetti: As good as Purdy has been the last six weeks, he still is a rookie who was chosen last in the draft back in April. The dominant defense also has one glaring weakness as the 49ers have been beaten too often by big plays over the top.
3. Vikings (13-4)
Plan the parade: Justin Jefferson became a true superstar this season, all but ending any debate about who the best wide receiver in the game is with a league-leading 1,809 yards and 128 receptions. The Vikings went 11-0 in games decided by eight points or fewer during the regular season, an NFL record.
Hold the confetti: The defense allowed 300-plus passing yards eight times this season on the way to a second-worst finish in the league in total yards allowed and fourth worst in points against.
4. Buccaneers (8-9)
Plan the parade: No one’s star has shined brighter in the playoffs than Tom Brady. The 45-year-old seven-time Super Bowl champ holds numerous postseason record.
Hold the confetti: Despite the impressive numbers Brady posted in his 23rd season, the Bucs weren’t nearly as good offensively as they were the last two seasons. They scored 18.4 points per game — 25th in the league.
5. Cowboys (12-5)
Plan the parade: If Dak Prescott can fix his interception woes, the Cowboys offense has proven to be one of the league’s best since he returned from a broken thumb.
Hold the confetti: Injuries on the offensive line finally caught up with the running game late in the season. The defense isn’t dominant without turnovers and sacks.
6. Giants (9-7-1)
Plan the parade: This is one of the NFL’s youngest teams. They believe in one another and bought into rookie head coach Brian Daboll’s mantra of focusing on the present. QB Daniel Jones is having a career season and RB Saquon Barkley, finally healthy, is playing like the rookie who had a great 2018.
Hold the confetti: There isn’t enough depth and the big plays are a rarity. The glaring weakness is at receiver.
7. Seahawks (9-8)
Plan the parade: If QB Geno Smith and the Seahawks offense can rediscover the midseason form that led to convincing wins over playoff teams such as the Chargers and Giants, and the defense continue its late-season improvement there’s no reason why they can’t be the latest wild-card team to make a run.
Hold the confetti: The 49ers are a terrible matchup for the Seahawks. The eventual NFC West champs overwhelmed the Seahawks in a convincing Week 2 victory in Santa Clara, and were just as dominant three months later in a Thursday night victory in Seattle.