NFL Wild Card Weekend: One reason to root for each team

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Los Angeles Chargers quarterback Philip Rivers pumps his fist after his team scored during the second half game against the Arizona Cardinals Sunday, Nov. 25, 2018, in Carson, Calif. (Kelvin Kuo/AP)

One of the best weekends in all of sports is almost upon us: NFL Wild Card weekend.

It’s the rare occasion that we get to watch pro football on Saturday and Sunday, with four do-or-die contests that are really anyone’s to win.

While eight lucky fanbases get to watch their respective teams usher in the new year and a new NFL post-season, the rest of us get to actually enjoy a full weekend of football.

So, who you got? If you’re still on the fence, here’s one reason to root for each wild card team this weekend.

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AFC WILD CARDS

No. 6 seed: Indianapolis Colts (10-6)
Reason to root for them: The comeback story

If you’re looking for the best comeback story in the NFL, you’ll find it here — and we’re not just talking about Andrew Luck, whose long absence had us starting to doubt if he’d ever play in the NFL again. This is a team that was 1-5 in mid-October, with not a playoff hope in sight. Eleven weeks and two win streaks later, they’ve got momentum on their side as they prepare to take on a familiar division foe they defeated less than a month ago.

No. 5 seed: Los Angeles Chargers (12-4)
Reason to root for them: Philip Rivers is ready to take his best shot

Thanks to questionable strength of schedule and poor luck in the health department (what else is new?), it took us a while to really get to know this Chargers team but one thing remained consistent: the steady, strong play of Philip Rivers. Yet, for all his MVP-calibre seasons, the veteran doesn’t have much to show for his career in terms of playoff success. Now surrounded by a club that ranks 11th in total offence and ninth in defence, this is the best all-around, complete roster he’s ever played with. Yet despite having the best record of their AFC wild-card peers, the bad-luck Chargers are widely considered underdogs against Baltimore and have the toughest path to the Super Bowl. But with an incredible 7-1 record on the road, this is a team that’s used to proving people wrong this season.

No. 4 seed: Baltimore Ravens (10-6)
Reason to root for them: Defence, defence, defence

They may have just barely squeaked into the post-season, but the Ravens look dangerous now that they’re in and have garnered a lot of hype thanks to their solid, smothering defence. And it’s not just that No. 1-ranked D that makes Baltimore a feared opponent — Lamar Jackson, the fifth quarterback taken in the first round of last April’s draft, has breathed new life into what looked like a tired offence, going 6-1 as a starter and doing what none of his rookie QB peers could do: get his team to the post-season.

No. 3 seed: Houston Texans (11-5)
Reason to root for them: Deshaun Watson under the brightest lights

The Texans didn’t make things easy for themselves as they strung together three straight losses to open the season — something that’s nearly impossible to recover from, yet here they are as the AFC South champs.

While Houston’s defence, which boasts some heavyweight pass-rushers, has gotten the Texans noticed in years past, they’ve finally got the missing piece that makes this team more balanced — and this year, he’s healthy. You could practically hear Houston’s collective heart break last season when quarterback Deshaun Watson went down with a season-ending knee injury after putting together what was a historic rookie campaign. One year later, this team is where they belong: back in the post-season, this time with a quarterback who looks to be up to the task.

NFC WILD CARDS

No. 6 seed: Philadelphia Eagles (9-7)
Reason to root for them: The underdog story (again)

Football gods work in mysterious ways. The Eagles’ playoff hopes depended on the Bears’ ability to defeat the Minnesota Vikings in Week 17. One week later, frienemies are back to foes in a game that has last year’s Super Bowl champs firmly in the “underdog” category as the playoff club with the worst record of the bunch. We’ve seen how special this Philly team can be when labeled as an underdog, though, and with backup Nick Foles back in the pocket and plenty of momentum on their side… this feels familiar, doesn’t it?

No. 5 seed: Seattle Seahawks
Reason to root for them: Russell Wilson knows how to win

Remember when this was supposed to be a rebuilding year? Turns out, all that talk was the best bulletin board material Seattle could’ve asked for as we learned once again to never ever count Russell Wilson out. Simply apply pressure, then sit back and see what magic the QB can pull off.

No. 4 seed: Dallas Cowboys
Reason to root for them: Ezekiel Elliott is at his best

A middling team through much of the season, the game that changed everything in Dallas came in Week 13 against the New Orleans Saints when we saw a stifling defence hold a red-hot Drew Brees to just 127 yards and a single touchdown. Weird slip-up against the Colts aside, we’ve looked at this team in a very different light ever since. Their solid defence ranks seventh league-wide and Ezekiel Elliott is playing his best football. Great defence and an elite run game playing on home turf? That’s a dangerous combination.

No. 3 seed: Chicago Bears
Reason to root for them: Da Bears are (finally) back

Those still living in the glory days of Da Bears of ’85 finally have a team to feel confident about. The offence has had a few blunders under the still-learning hands of Mitchell Trubisky, but the defence, complete with a league-leading 27 interceptions and some guy named Khalil Mack, is Da Real Deal — and boy is it fun to watch.

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