Decade later, New Orleans seeded No. 1
Half of the NFC playoff field is back from last year, including the defending Super Bowl champion Philadelphia Eagles, who wobbled and hobbled into the postseason party as the sixth and final seed after a season-long slog.
The Saints earned the No. 1 seed for the first time since 2009, when they beat Peyton Manning and the Colts in Super Bowl 44 for their first championship, and the Los Angeles Rams are the second seed with the franchise’s first playoff bye since 2001, when the “Greatest Show on Turf” was still rocking St. Louis.
The Chicago Bears are back for the first time in eight seasons and the Dallas Cowboys and Seattle Seahawks each ended a one-year hiatus.
Strength and weakness of selected playoff teams.
1. NEW ORLEANS SAINTS
(13-3). AP Pro32 Ranking: No. 1. Last Lombardi: Super Bowl 44, beat Indianapolis 31-17 on Feb. 7, 2010.
STANDOUT: Drew Brees, who turns 40 this month, is a leading MVP candidate after breaking his own NFL record for completion percentage (74.4). While his 3,992 passing yards were his fewest in 13 seasons with the Saints, he had the luxury of sitting out the last game, plus a QB’s best friend is a great ground game with Alvin Kamara and Mark Ingram. The defense was among the NFL’s best over the latter half of the season, holding six straight opponents to 17 points or fewer from Weeks 9 to 15.
SHUTOUT: The Saints’ defense has been susceptible to poor showings against the pass, ranking 29th with 268.9 yards allowed per game through the air. And the Saints’ offense has found it tougher to sustain drives and find the end zone lately. While their 31.5 scoring average ranks third in the league, they had more pedestrian totals of 10, 12 and 14 points in three of their last five games.
2. LOS ANGELES RAMS (133). AP Pro32 Ranking: No. 2. Last Lombardi: Super Bowl 34, beat Tennessee 23-16 on Jan. 30, 2000, while based in St. Louis.
KNOCKOUT: The Rams’ offense has been among the NFL’s best, with Jared Goff and Todd Gurley running coach Sean McVay’s innovative schemes to perfection for long stretches of the Rams’ best regular season since 2001. The same five O-linemen started all 16 games. A talented group of receivers made up for the injury loss of Cooper Kupp, with Robert Woods and Brandin Cooks both topping 1,200 yards receiving. Gurley should be fresh after missing the final two games to rest his knees.
LIGHTS OUT: The Rams’ defense just completed its best month of the season, but it struggled for long stretches of the fall, particularly against playoff-caliber offenses. The secondary has yet to live up to its self-given “Lock Angeles” nickname, while Aaron Donald’s brilliance on the line camouflaged the Rams’ relative lack of pressure from other positions. Among playoff teams, only Kansas City yielded more yards rushing than L.A. (122.3).
4. DALLAS COWBOYS (106). AP Pro32 Ranking: No. 11. Last Lombardi: Super Bowl 30, 27-17 over Pittsburgh Steelers on Jan. 28, 1996.
TURNOUT: The Cowboys have been at their best when NFL rushing champion Ezekiel Elliott dictates the pace, allowing Dak Prescott ‘s passing game to be a complementary piece. The midseason trade for receiver Amari Cooper boosted a struggling unit. Defense has defined Dallas much more than in recent years. Young linebackers Jaylon Smith and Leighton Vander Esch have taken over as leaders. The pass rush is always a threat, led by DeMarcus Lawrence, who made his second straight Pro Bowl.
TIMEOUT: Dallas has the lowest-scoring and worst red-zone offense among the playoff qualifiers. More of that inconsistency fueled mostly by a spotty passing game will probably be too much for a strong defense to overcome. The O-line has lived on the edge with injuries. Left Tackle Tyron Smith (neck) and right guard Zack Martin (knee) are hanging on without the other perennial Pro Bowler in center Travis Frederick, who missed the season because of a nerve disorder.