Game Previews

The Patriots will look to speed things up while the Eagles look to slow things down in a Super Bowl that presents a closer matchup than a Brady-Foles quarterback duel might otherwise suggest.

To stop Blake Bortles, the Patriots will have to stop throws in the short middle of the field. To stop Tom Brady, the Jaguars will have to get pressure with four even though Brady was among the best QBs in the league under pressure this season.

Somebody has to Jeff Hostetler their way into Super Bowl LII. Will it be the Eagles, with a tenacious defense and home-field advantage? Or will it be the Vikings, who've gotten a better performance (and more of it) from backup-turned-MVP candidate Case Keenum?

Philadelphia is a historic home underdog, but is that underrating the Eagles defense? Or is it the Atlanta defense that needs more respect given recent improvement? Then: Sunday is the matchup between two great and balanced teams. Can New Orleans win in Minnesota?

On Saturday night, Marcus Mariota and the Titans become the latest team to seek an upset in Foxborough. Sunday morning, Ben Roethlisberger and the Steelers look to avenge their worst loss of the season.

On Saturday night, the Rams play the Falcons for just the second time in the last five years. Then on Sunday, the Saints play the Panthers for the 11th time in the past five years.

The playoffs begin with the Chiefs and Alex Smith hosting Marcus Mariota and the Titans. Action continues on Sunday, as either the Bills or Jaguars will get their first playoff win in a long, long time.

The Falcons try to bring Atlanta its first Lombardi Trophy and its first pro title since 1995. The Brady-Belichick Patriots would mark themselves as the NFL's greatest dynasty with a fifth title. Welcome to Super Bowl LI.

"Last team with the ball wins" is a cliche, but sometimes cliches are the best way to get across the central narrative of an important game. If you like great quarterback play, you have to watch the NFC Championship Game.

A Super Bowl berth could be decided by the Patriots' ability to contain Le'Veon Bell -- and by Pittsburgh's ability to avoid their usual defensive breakdowns against New England.