NFL Playoff Schedule 2018: AFC and NFC Divisional Round Matchup Analysis

The NFL postseason began with a solemn reminder of the home favorites' mortality. 

This weekend's quartet of divisional-round matchups is not what most onlookers expected entering Wild Card Weekend. After the Tennessee Titans commenced the playoffs by upending the Kansas City Chiefs, the Atlanta Falcons followed by knocking off the promising Los Angeles Rams.

While the Titans will encounter even worse odds in the next round, the Falcons now have the inside track on another NFC Championship Game appearance. The other pair of contests pit teams who met under different circumstances earlier this season.

Let's take a gander at all four playoff games set to preoccupy every NFL fan's weekend. 

Atlanta Falcons at Philadelphia Eagles

When: Saturday, Jan. 13 at 4:35 p.m. ET (NBC)

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Carson Wentz's season-ending ACL tear has resulted in the No. 6-seeded Falcons looming tall as the chalk choice to beat the No. 1 Philadelphia Eagles. OddsShark lists Atlanta as 2.5-point favorites to win at Lincoln Financial Field, where the Eagles were undefeated before an inconsequential Week 17 loss to the Dallas Cowboys.

A quarterback change hardly awards Atlanta an automatic victory. Philadelphia ended 2017 ranked No. 4 in total defense, No. 3 in opposing yards per pass attempt and No. 1 versus the run. On the other end, Nick Foles has a higher career passer rating (87.4) than Andrew Luck, Jameis Winston, Cam Newton, Joe Flacco and Eli Manning.

Yet including a truncated outing against Dallas, Foles went a troublesome 47-of-87 in three starts to close the season. Per ESPN.com's Tim McManus, right tackle Lane Johnson said the 28-year-old quarterback needed a readjustment period.

"It takes time for quarterbacks to get into a rhythm," Johnson said. "Nick, this is, what, his fourth game? So we had a good week of practices last week and this week, too. I'm sure he'll find his rhythm."

He'll face a Falcons defense that stuffed Jared Goff to 5.8 yards per attempt while registering three sacks. They're not as prolific as last year's Super Bowl squad, but the reigning NFC champions may once again be peaking at the perfect moment.

Tennessee Titans at New England Patriots

When: Saturday, Jan. 13 at 8:15 p.m. ET (CBS)

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Is it even worth pretending that Tennessee has a chance of beating the New England Patriots?

They needed a Travis Kelce injury, Harrison Butker missed field goal off the upright and a Marcus Mariota touchdown pass to himself to beat Kansas City by one point last Saturday. A questionable forward-progress ruling also spared Mariota from a potentially costly fumble.

According to Football Outsiders, the Titans finished the season No. 18 in Defense-adjusted Value Over Average (DVOA) with the NFL's third-easiest weighted schedule. They have now obtained their last seven triumphs by a combined 31 points.

Although well-positioned to stymie Dion Lewis, their No. 25-ranked passing defense now must handle Tom Brady on the road. If there's a slither of a silver lining for the underdog, the 40-year-old quarterback averaged a pedestrian 6.6 yards per completion over the season's final four games.

Perhaps Tennessee's offense has also discovered a second gear behind Derrick Henry. With DeMarco Murray sidelined in the last two games, the team's younger running back enjoyed life outside a timeshare by tallying 308 yards and two touchdowns in 54 touches.

New England yielded 4.7 yards per run, so Tennessee should look to feed the 24-year-old early and often before the defending champions can leap to an early lead. The Titans are toast if they need to overcome another 21-3 deficit.

Jacksonville Jaguars at Pittsburgh Steelers

When: Sunday, Jan. 14 at 1:05 p.m. ET (CBS)

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The Jacksonville Jaguars don't need the Blake Bortles who briefly morphed into a stud from Weeks 13-15. As they showed in the Wild Card Round and Week 5's 30-9 win over the same Pittsburgh Steelers they face this weekend, their elite defense can even overcome his worst moments.

Jacksonville pummeled Pittsburgh on Oct. 8 despite the maligned quarterback connecting on eight passes for 95 yards and an interception. It didn't matter, as the NFL's premier pass-prevention unit returned two of five interceptions for touchdowns.

Ben Roethlisberger threw one pick in his other seven home games.

That turnover rate isn't sustainable. Jacksonville's bigger concern is once again controlling the ground game. While Leonard Fournette gashed Pittsburgh for a season-high 181 rushing yards, Le'Veon Bell mustered 47. 

Stopping the run is a weakness for both Jacksonville and Pittsburgh, who ceded 4.3 and 4.4 yards per carry this season, respectively. Then again, Fournette managed 57 yards on 21 handoffs against a Buffalo Bills defense that entered the playoffs No. 29 in rushing defense. The rookie is averaging 3.2 yards per carry since returning from a two-game absence in Week 10.

Jalen Ramsey and Co. can't be expected to keep the Steelers from finding pay dirt at Heinz Field for the second time. Yet they have a microscopic margin of error if Bortles and Fournette continue to slump. 

New Orleans Saints at Minnesota Vikings

When: Sunday, Jan. 14 4:40 p.m. ET (FOX)

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The New Orleans Saints and Minnesota Vikings look far different from the squads that battled at U.S. Bank Stadium to open 2017. While Adrian Peterson received six of the Saints' 21 handoffs, Sam Bradford and Dalvin Cook carved up an inexperienced defense that looked poised for another year of woeful ineptitude.

Case Keenum since took over to post the second-highest completion percentage (67.6) behind Drew Brees, who broke Bradford's short-lived single-season record at 72.0 percent.

Per ESPN.com's Courtney Cronin, Vikings coach Mike Zimmer made quite the understatement when saying New Orleans now utilizes Kamara "a little bit more" than they did in September.

ESPN Stats & Info noted the rookie's historic production as a rusher and receiver:

Kamara and Mark Ingram, however, combined for 68 yards in a Wild Card Round win over the Carolina Panthers. Minnesota's second-best rushing defense is equipped to again derail the dominant duo, and its second-ranked passing defense should prevent Brees from entirely offsetting those struggles with 376 passing yards.

The battle of strengths overshadows each team's other stout unit. Keenum—with an early assist from Bradford—led Minnesota's offense to No. 5 in Football Outsiders' DVOA. Before coughing up 413 total yards to Carolina, New Orleans' defense rated No. 8  in DVOA.

With a home game or visit to Foles' Eagles ahead, the winner will likely go into the NFC Championship Game as favorites to reach Super Bowl LII.