Team Notes week 18 2016

By Bob Harris
Bob Harris<

NEWS, NOTES, RUMORS AND OTHER GOOD STUFF

Directly from the desk of FlashUpdate Editor Bob Harris. The good; the bad; and yes. ... Even the Bears. There is no better way to jump start your weekend than browsing these always educational -- often irreverent -- team-by-team, Fantasy-specific offerings. ...
Access specific teams by clicking on a team name in the schedule appearing directly to your left or by clicking on a helmet below; return to the helmets by hitting the link labeled "Menu" following each teams notes. ...

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Arizona Cardinals

 Compiled by FootballDiehards Editor Bob Harris | Updated 4 January 2017

The Seattle Seahawks enter the postseason as the No. 3 seed in the NFC and will host the Detroit Lions on Saturday at CenturyLink Field.

The passing attack has been inconsistent for much of the season, but if the Seahawks are going to go on a playoff run, ESPN.com's Sheil Kapadia believes this is where they'll have to make up for deficiencies elsewhere.

Russell Wilson suffered three injuries in the first six games of the season and has never looked completely healthy. He deserves credit for the work he put in to stay on the field (Wilson didn't miss a start) and still completed 64.7 percent of his passes while averaging 7.73 yards per attempt with 21 touchdowns and 11 interceptions.

His favorite targets -- Doug Baldwin (94 catches, 1,128 yards, seven touchdowns) and Jimmy Graham (65 catches, 923 yards, six touchdowns) -- both had great seasons and will present matchup problems against a Lions defense that went into Week 17 allowing opposing quarterbacks to complete a league-high 72.9 percent of their passes.

Pass protection is always a question with the Seahawks, but the Lions produced pressure on just 19.8 percent of their opponents' dropbacks, the worst percentage in the NFL. Detroit's sack percentage (4.6) ranked 29th. The Lions had one sack and four hits on Aaron Rodgers on Sunday, but the Green Bay Packers' offensive line is superior to the Seahawks' line.

The good news?

ESPN.com's Michael Rothstein pointed out the Lions set an NFL record this season by allowing opposing quarterbacks to complete 72.7 percent of passes against them. It broke a record established by another team coached by Jim Caldwell -- the 2011 Indianapolis Colts. They allowed opposing quarterbacks to complete 71.2 percent of passes against them.

The Lions were a full percentage point worse.

Now, the Lions have to face one of the game's more accurate quarterbacks in the playoffs in Wilson, who has completed at least 63 percent of his passes in every season of his career -- including the above-mentioned 64.7 percent this season.

Unlike many other quarterbacks Detroit has faced, the rushing potential for Wilson is something that makes him even more dangerous.

"You just have to get them down enough times," Caldwell said. "We just didn't get him down enough times. You're not going to completely stop Russell Wilson. No one has at this point throughout his career.

"So you've just got to get him down enough times to be able to stall the drives and be able to answer with points. That's the real key."

And the last time the Lions faced Wilson, he was insanely accurate against Detroit. He completed 20 of 26 passes (76.9 percent) against the Lions last season in a nationally televised Monday night game in Week 4. He also took more shots downfield in that game than others, averaging 11.04 yards per attempt and 7.46 yards per dropback against Detroit.

The way the Lions have played against opposing quarterbacks this season, though, that would be close to average.

As for the run?

According to ESPN Stats and Information, from 2012 to 2015, the Seahawks had nine games in which they failed to rush for 100 yards. That happened in 10 of 16 games during the 2016 regular season.

Against a shaky 49ers run defense, the Seahawks totaled just 87 yards on 25 carries. Thomas Rawls has battled through injuries and struggled to build from his rookie season, finishing with 349 rushing yards on 109 attempts (3.20 yards per carry).

Wilson's 259 rushing yards are the lowest total of his career. The run-blocking has been an issue throughout the season.

The Lions rank 22nd against the run, according to Football Outsiders. The Packers ran for 153 yards against them and averaged 4.9 yards per carry.

The Seahawks want to find balance whenever they can, but at this point, they know the run game is not the strength it has been in previous years.

Meanwhile, head coach Pete Carroll said on Monday that rookie running back C.J. Prosise, who has missed the last six games with a fractured scapula is "getting close now," though it sounds like a return this week is not in the cards.

But if the Seahawks advance to face the Atlanta Falcons next week, Prosise will have a chance of being available.

"A very encouraging report today," Carroll said on Tuesday. "He had a CT scan that was really positive. He's working hard and running hard. We're going to see what happens. If we have the good fortune of winning this week, we'll take a look at next week. He's going to run really hard this week with the thought that he's going to practice next week. If we can give him that opportunity it would be great."

The Seahawks will have a new long snapper for Saturday night's Wild Card game against the Lions.

The team announced on Tuesday that they have placed Nolan Frese on injured reserve as a result of the ankle injury that he suffered in Week 17. Frese played the entire game, but had a bad snap that went over punter Jon Ryan's head for a safety in the third quarter of the 25-23 victory.

"He couldn't run at all, so he was just clomping around on a totally casted foot to get through the game," Carroll said of Frese.

Seattle signed Tyler Ott to take Frese's place on the roster and take over the snapping duties. Ott played three games for the Bengals earlier this season and saw action in one game for the Giants last year.

It's not the only issue Seattle's special teams have had. Frese has had poor snaps while healthy too. Kicker Steven Hauschka has missed 10 kicks this year -- six extra points and four field goals -- and six of the misses were due to blocked kicks.

"There's just some funky kicks we've made," Carroll said. "(Hauschka) hit four great field goals yesterday and did a great job but there was an extra point that was low.

Also. ... Veteran return man Devin Hester is signing with the Seahawks for the playoffs, Jay Glazer of FOXSports first reported Tuesday night.

The Ravens cut Hester, 34, in December. He handled their return duties for 12 games this season.

The Seahawks needed a returner after losing speedy second-year man Tyler Lockett to a Week 16 broken leg. They open the playoffs Saturday night vs. the Lions.

Hester is a four-time Pro Bowler and a three time first-team All-Pro. He played eight seasons for the Bears and the last two for the Falcons before signing with the Ravens in September.


DEPTH CHART
QBs: Kyler Murray, Desmond Ridder, Clayton Tune
RBs: James Conner, Michael Carter, Emari Demercado
WRs: Zay Jones, Michael Wilson, Rondale Moore, Greg Dortch, Zach Pascal
TEs: Trey McBride, Geoff Swaim

Atlanta Falcons

 Compiled by FootballDiehards Editor Bob Harris | Updated 4 January 2017

The Seattle Seahawks enter the postseason as the No. 3 seed in the NFC and will host the Detroit Lions on Saturday at CenturyLink Field.

The passing attack has been inconsistent for much of the season, but if the Seahawks are going to go on a playoff run, ESPN.com's Sheil Kapadia believes this is where they'll have to make up for deficiencies elsewhere.

Russell Wilson suffered three injuries in the first six games of the season and has never looked completely healthy. He deserves credit for the work he put in to stay on the field (Wilson didn't miss a start) and still completed 64.7 percent of his passes while averaging 7.73 yards per attempt with 21 touchdowns and 11 interceptions.

His favorite targets -- Doug Baldwin (94 catches, 1,128 yards, seven touchdowns) and Jimmy Graham (65 catches, 923 yards, six touchdowns) -- both had great seasons and will present matchup problems against a Lions defense that went into Week 17 allowing opposing quarterbacks to complete a league-high 72.9 percent of their passes.

Pass protection is always a question with the Seahawks, but the Lions produced pressure on just 19.8 percent of their opponents' dropbacks, the worst percentage in the NFL. Detroit's sack percentage (4.6) ranked 29th. The Lions had one sack and four hits on Aaron Rodgers on Sunday, but the Green Bay Packers' offensive line is superior to the Seahawks' line.

The good news?

ESPN.com's Michael Rothstein pointed out the Lions set an NFL record this season by allowing opposing quarterbacks to complete 72.7 percent of passes against them. It broke a record established by another team coached by Jim Caldwell -- the 2011 Indianapolis Colts. They allowed opposing quarterbacks to complete 71.2 percent of passes against them.

The Lions were a full percentage point worse.

Now, the Lions have to face one of the game's more accurate quarterbacks in the playoffs in Wilson, who has completed at least 63 percent of his passes in every season of his career -- including the above-mentioned 64.7 percent this season.

Unlike many other quarterbacks Detroit has faced, the rushing potential for Wilson is something that makes him even more dangerous.

"You just have to get them down enough times," Caldwell said. "We just didn't get him down enough times. You're not going to completely stop Russell Wilson. No one has at this point throughout his career.

"So you've just got to get him down enough times to be able to stall the drives and be able to answer with points. That's the real key."

And the last time the Lions faced Wilson, he was insanely accurate against Detroit. He completed 20 of 26 passes (76.9 percent) against the Lions last season in a nationally televised Monday night game in Week 4. He also took more shots downfield in that game than others, averaging 11.04 yards per attempt and 7.46 yards per dropback against Detroit.

The way the Lions have played against opposing quarterbacks this season, though, that would be close to average.

As for the run?

According to ESPN Stats and Information, from 2012 to 2015, the Seahawks had nine games in which they failed to rush for 100 yards. That happened in 10 of 16 games during the 2016 regular season.

Against a shaky 49ers run defense, the Seahawks totaled just 87 yards on 25 carries. Thomas Rawls has battled through injuries and struggled to build from his rookie season, finishing with 349 rushing yards on 109 attempts (3.20 yards per carry).

Wilson's 259 rushing yards are the lowest total of his career. The run-blocking has been an issue throughout the season.

The Lions rank 22nd against the run, according to Football Outsiders. The Packers ran for 153 yards against them and averaged 4.9 yards per carry.

The Seahawks want to find balance whenever they can, but at this point, they know the run game is not the strength it has been in previous years.

Meanwhile, head coach Pete Carroll said on Monday that rookie running back C.J. Prosise, who has missed the last six games with a fractured scapula is "getting close now," though it sounds like a return this week is not in the cards.

But if the Seahawks advance to face the Atlanta Falcons next week, Prosise will have a chance of being available.

"A very encouraging report today," Carroll said on Tuesday. "He had a CT scan that was really positive. He's working hard and running hard. We're going to see what happens. If we have the good fortune of winning this week, we'll take a look at next week. He's going to run really hard this week with the thought that he's going to practice next week. If we can give him that opportunity it would be great."

The Seahawks will have a new long snapper for Saturday night's Wild Card game against the Lions.

The team announced on Tuesday that they have placed Nolan Frese on injured reserve as a result of the ankle injury that he suffered in Week 17. Frese played the entire game, but had a bad snap that went over punter Jon Ryan's head for a safety in the third quarter of the 25-23 victory.

"He couldn't run at all, so he was just clomping around on a totally casted foot to get through the game," Carroll said of Frese.

Seattle signed Tyler Ott to take Frese's place on the roster and take over the snapping duties. Ott played three games for the Bengals earlier this season and saw action in one game for the Giants last year.

It's not the only issue Seattle's special teams have had. Frese has had poor snaps while healthy too. Kicker Steven Hauschka has missed 10 kicks this year -- six extra points and four field goals -- and six of the misses were due to blocked kicks.

"There's just some funky kicks we've made," Carroll said. "(Hauschka) hit four great field goals yesterday and did a great job but there was an extra point that was low.

Also. ... Veteran return man Devin Hester is signing with the Seahawks for the playoffs, Jay Glazer of FOXSports first reported Tuesday night.

The Ravens cut Hester, 34, in December. He handled their return duties for 12 games this season.

The Seahawks needed a returner after losing speedy second-year man Tyler Lockett to a Week 16 broken leg. They open the playoffs Saturday night vs. the Lions.

Hester is a four-time Pro Bowler and a three time first-team All-Pro. He played eight seasons for the Bears and the last two for the Falcons before signing with the Ravens in September.


DEPTH CHART
QBs: Taylor Heinicke, Logan Woodside, Kirk Cousins
RBs: Bijan Robinson, Tyler Allgeier, Cordarrelle Patterson
WRs: Drake London, Darnell Mooney, Mack Hollins, KhaDarel Hodge, Van Jefferson, Scott Miller, Jared Bernhardt, Josh Ali
TEs: Kyle Pitts, MyCole Pruitt, John FitzPatrick

Baltimore Ravens

 Compiled by FootballDiehards Editor Bob Harris | Updated 4 January 2017

The Seattle Seahawks enter the postseason as the No. 3 seed in the NFC and will host the Detroit Lions on Saturday at CenturyLink Field.

The passing attack has been inconsistent for much of the season, but if the Seahawks are going to go on a playoff run, ESPN.com's Sheil Kapadia believes this is where they'll have to make up for deficiencies elsewhere.

Russell Wilson suffered three injuries in the first six games of the season and has never looked completely healthy. He deserves credit for the work he put in to stay on the field (Wilson didn't miss a start) and still completed 64.7 percent of his passes while averaging 7.73 yards per attempt with 21 touchdowns and 11 interceptions.

His favorite targets -- Doug Baldwin (94 catches, 1,128 yards, seven touchdowns) and Jimmy Graham (65 catches, 923 yards, six touchdowns) -- both had great seasons and will present matchup problems against a Lions defense that went into Week 17 allowing opposing quarterbacks to complete a league-high 72.9 percent of their passes.

Pass protection is always a question with the Seahawks, but the Lions produced pressure on just 19.8 percent of their opponents' dropbacks, the worst percentage in the NFL. Detroit's sack percentage (4.6) ranked 29th. The Lions had one sack and four hits on Aaron Rodgers on Sunday, but the Green Bay Packers' offensive line is superior to the Seahawks' line.

The good news?

ESPN.com's Michael Rothstein pointed out the Lions set an NFL record this season by allowing opposing quarterbacks to complete 72.7 percent of passes against them. It broke a record established by another team coached by Jim Caldwell -- the 2011 Indianapolis Colts. They allowed opposing quarterbacks to complete 71.2 percent of passes against them.

The Lions were a full percentage point worse.

Now, the Lions have to face one of the game's more accurate quarterbacks in the playoffs in Wilson, who has completed at least 63 percent of his passes in every season of his career -- including the above-mentioned 64.7 percent this season.

Unlike many other quarterbacks Detroit has faced, the rushing potential for Wilson is something that makes him even more dangerous.

"You just have to get them down enough times," Caldwell said. "We just didn't get him down enough times. You're not going to completely stop Russell Wilson. No one has at this point throughout his career.

"So you've just got to get him down enough times to be able to stall the drives and be able to answer with points. That's the real key."

And the last time the Lions faced Wilson, he was insanely accurate against Detroit. He completed 20 of 26 passes (76.9 percent) against the Lions last season in a nationally televised Monday night game in Week 4. He also took more shots downfield in that game than others, averaging 11.04 yards per attempt and 7.46 yards per dropback against Detroit.

The way the Lions have played against opposing quarterbacks this season, though, that would be close to average.

As for the run?

According to ESPN Stats and Information, from 2012 to 2015, the Seahawks had nine games in which they failed to rush for 100 yards. That happened in 10 of 16 games during the 2016 regular season.

Against a shaky 49ers run defense, the Seahawks totaled just 87 yards on 25 carries. Thomas Rawls has battled through injuries and struggled to build from his rookie season, finishing with 349 rushing yards on 109 attempts (3.20 yards per carry).

Wilson's 259 rushing yards are the lowest total of his career. The run-blocking has been an issue throughout the season.

The Lions rank 22nd against the run, according to Football Outsiders. The Packers ran for 153 yards against them and averaged 4.9 yards per carry.

The Seahawks want to find balance whenever they can, but at this point, they know the run game is not the strength it has been in previous years.

Meanwhile, head coach Pete Carroll said on Monday that rookie running back C.J. Prosise, who has missed the last six games with a fractured scapula is "getting close now," though it sounds like a return this week is not in the cards.

But if the Seahawks advance to face the Atlanta Falcons next week, Prosise will have a chance of being available.

"A very encouraging report today," Carroll said on Tuesday. "He had a CT scan that was really positive. He's working hard and running hard. We're going to see what happens. If we have the good fortune of winning this week, we'll take a look at next week. He's going to run really hard this week with the thought that he's going to practice next week. If we can give him that opportunity it would be great."

The Seahawks will have a new long snapper for Saturday night's Wild Card game against the Lions.

The team announced on Tuesday that they have placed Nolan Frese on injured reserve as a result of the ankle injury that he suffered in Week 17. Frese played the entire game, but had a bad snap that went over punter Jon Ryan's head for a safety in the third quarter of the 25-23 victory.

"He couldn't run at all, so he was just clomping around on a totally casted foot to get through the game," Carroll said of Frese.

Seattle signed Tyler Ott to take Frese's place on the roster and take over the snapping duties. Ott played three games for the Bengals earlier this season and saw action in one game for the Giants last year.

It's not the only issue Seattle's special teams have had. Frese has had poor snaps while healthy too. Kicker Steven Hauschka has missed 10 kicks this year -- six extra points and four field goals -- and six of the misses were due to blocked kicks.

"There's just some funky kicks we've made," Carroll said. "(Hauschka) hit four great field goals yesterday and did a great job but there was an extra point that was low.

Also. ... Veteran return man Devin Hester is signing with the Seahawks for the playoffs, Jay Glazer of FOXSports first reported Tuesday night.

The Ravens cut Hester, 34, in December. He handled their return duties for 12 games this season.

The Seahawks needed a returner after losing speedy second-year man Tyler Lockett to a Week 16 broken leg. They open the playoffs Saturday night vs. the Lions.

Hester is a four-time Pro Bowler and a three time first-team All-Pro. He played eight seasons for the Bears and the last two for the Falcons before signing with the Ravens in September.


DEPTH CHART
QBs: Lamar Jackson, Josh Johnson
RBs: Derrick Henry, Justice Hill, Melvin Gordon, Keaton Mitchell
WRs: Zay Flowers, Rashod Bateman, Nelson Agholor, Tylan Wallace
TEs: Isaiah Likely, Charlie Kolar, Mark Andrews

Buffalo Bills

 Compiled by FootballDiehards Editor Bob Harris | Updated 4 January 2017

The Seattle Seahawks enter the postseason as the No. 3 seed in the NFC and will host the Detroit Lions on Saturday at CenturyLink Field.

The passing attack has been inconsistent for much of the season, but if the Seahawks are going to go on a playoff run, ESPN.com's Sheil Kapadia believes this is where they'll have to make up for deficiencies elsewhere.

Russell Wilson suffered three injuries in the first six games of the season and has never looked completely healthy. He deserves credit for the work he put in to stay on the field (Wilson didn't miss a start) and still completed 64.7 percent of his passes while averaging 7.73 yards per attempt with 21 touchdowns and 11 interceptions.

His favorite targets -- Doug Baldwin (94 catches, 1,128 yards, seven touchdowns) and Jimmy Graham (65 catches, 923 yards, six touchdowns) -- both had great seasons and will present matchup problems against a Lions defense that went into Week 17 allowing opposing quarterbacks to complete a league-high 72.9 percent of their passes.

Pass protection is always a question with the Seahawks, but the Lions produced pressure on just 19.8 percent of their opponents' dropbacks, the worst percentage in the NFL. Detroit's sack percentage (4.6) ranked 29th. The Lions had one sack and four hits on Aaron Rodgers on Sunday, but the Green Bay Packers' offensive line is superior to the Seahawks' line.

The good news?

ESPN.com's Michael Rothstein pointed out the Lions set an NFL record this season by allowing opposing quarterbacks to complete 72.7 percent of passes against them. It broke a record established by another team coached by Jim Caldwell -- the 2011 Indianapolis Colts. They allowed opposing quarterbacks to complete 71.2 percent of passes against them.

The Lions were a full percentage point worse.

Now, the Lions have to face one of the game's more accurate quarterbacks in the playoffs in Wilson, who has completed at least 63 percent of his passes in every season of his career -- including the above-mentioned 64.7 percent this season.

Unlike many other quarterbacks Detroit has faced, the rushing potential for Wilson is something that makes him even more dangerous.

"You just have to get them down enough times," Caldwell said. "We just didn't get him down enough times. You're not going to completely stop Russell Wilson. No one has at this point throughout his career.

"So you've just got to get him down enough times to be able to stall the drives and be able to answer with points. That's the real key."

And the last time the Lions faced Wilson, he was insanely accurate against Detroit. He completed 20 of 26 passes (76.9 percent) against the Lions last season in a nationally televised Monday night game in Week 4. He also took more shots downfield in that game than others, averaging 11.04 yards per attempt and 7.46 yards per dropback against Detroit.

The way the Lions have played against opposing quarterbacks this season, though, that would be close to average.

As for the run?

According to ESPN Stats and Information, from 2012 to 2015, the Seahawks had nine games in which they failed to rush for 100 yards. That happened in 10 of 16 games during the 2016 regular season.

Against a shaky 49ers run defense, the Seahawks totaled just 87 yards on 25 carries. Thomas Rawls has battled through injuries and struggled to build from his rookie season, finishing with 349 rushing yards on 109 attempts (3.20 yards per carry).

Wilson's 259 rushing yards are the lowest total of his career. The run-blocking has been an issue throughout the season.

The Lions rank 22nd against the run, according to Football Outsiders. The Packers ran for 153 yards against them and averaged 4.9 yards per carry.

The Seahawks want to find balance whenever they can, but at this point, they know the run game is not the strength it has been in previous years.

Meanwhile, head coach Pete Carroll said on Monday that rookie running back C.J. Prosise, who has missed the last six games with a fractured scapula is "getting close now," though it sounds like a return this week is not in the cards.

But if the Seahawks advance to face the Atlanta Falcons next week, Prosise will have a chance of being available.

"A very encouraging report today," Carroll said on Tuesday. "He had a CT scan that was really positive. He's working hard and running hard. We're going to see what happens. If we have the good fortune of winning this week, we'll take a look at next week. He's going to run really hard this week with the thought that he's going to practice next week. If we can give him that opportunity it would be great."

The Seahawks will have a new long snapper for Saturday night's Wild Card game against the Lions.

The team announced on Tuesday that they have placed Nolan Frese on injured reserve as a result of the ankle injury that he suffered in Week 17. Frese played the entire game, but had a bad snap that went over punter Jon Ryan's head for a safety in the third quarter of the 25-23 victory.

"He couldn't run at all, so he was just clomping around on a totally casted foot to get through the game," Carroll said of Frese.

Seattle signed Tyler Ott to take Frese's place on the roster and take over the snapping duties. Ott played three games for the Bengals earlier this season and saw action in one game for the Giants last year.

It's not the only issue Seattle's special teams have had. Frese has had poor snaps while healthy too. Kicker Steven Hauschka has missed 10 kicks this year -- six extra points and four field goals -- and six of the misses were due to blocked kicks.

"There's just some funky kicks we've made," Carroll said. "(Hauschka) hit four great field goals yesterday and did a great job but there was an extra point that was low.

Also. ... Veteran return man Devin Hester is signing with the Seahawks for the playoffs, Jay Glazer of FOXSports first reported Tuesday night.

The Ravens cut Hester, 34, in December. He handled their return duties for 12 games this season.

The Seahawks needed a returner after losing speedy second-year man Tyler Lockett to a Week 16 broken leg. They open the playoffs Saturday night vs. the Lions.

Hester is a four-time Pro Bowler and a three time first-team All-Pro. He played eight seasons for the Bears and the last two for the Falcons before signing with the Ravens in September.


DEPTH CHART
QBs: Josh Allen
RBs: James Cook, Latavius Murray, Ty Johnson
WRs: Khalil Shakir, Curtis Samuel, Trent Sherfield, Deonte Harty
TEs: Dalton Kincaid, Dawson Knox, Quintin Morris

Carolina Panthers

 Compiled by FootballDiehards Editor Bob Harris | Updated 4 January 2017

The Seattle Seahawks enter the postseason as the No. 3 seed in the NFC and will host the Detroit Lions on Saturday at CenturyLink Field.

The passing attack has been inconsistent for much of the season, but if the Seahawks are going to go on a playoff run, ESPN.com's Sheil Kapadia believes this is where they'll have to make up for deficiencies elsewhere.

Russell Wilson suffered three injuries in the first six games of the season and has never looked completely healthy. He deserves credit for the work he put in to stay on the field (Wilson didn't miss a start) and still completed 64.7 percent of his passes while averaging 7.73 yards per attempt with 21 touchdowns and 11 interceptions.

His favorite targets -- Doug Baldwin (94 catches, 1,128 yards, seven touchdowns) and Jimmy Graham (65 catches, 923 yards, six touchdowns) -- both had great seasons and will present matchup problems against a Lions defense that went into Week 17 allowing opposing quarterbacks to complete a league-high 72.9 percent of their passes.

Pass protection is always a question with the Seahawks, but the Lions produced pressure on just 19.8 percent of their opponents' dropbacks, the worst percentage in the NFL. Detroit's sack percentage (4.6) ranked 29th. The Lions had one sack and four hits on Aaron Rodgers on Sunday, but the Green Bay Packers' offensive line is superior to the Seahawks' line.

The good news?

ESPN.com's Michael Rothstein pointed out the Lions set an NFL record this season by allowing opposing quarterbacks to complete 72.7 percent of passes against them. It broke a record established by another team coached by Jim Caldwell -- the 2011 Indianapolis Colts. They allowed opposing quarterbacks to complete 71.2 percent of passes against them.

The Lions were a full percentage point worse.

Now, the Lions have to face one of the game's more accurate quarterbacks in the playoffs in Wilson, who has completed at least 63 percent of his passes in every season of his career -- including the above-mentioned 64.7 percent this season.

Unlike many other quarterbacks Detroit has faced, the rushing potential for Wilson is something that makes him even more dangerous.

"You just have to get them down enough times," Caldwell said. "We just didn't get him down enough times. You're not going to completely stop Russell Wilson. No one has at this point throughout his career.

"So you've just got to get him down enough times to be able to stall the drives and be able to answer with points. That's the real key."

And the last time the Lions faced Wilson, he was insanely accurate against Detroit. He completed 20 of 26 passes (76.9 percent) against the Lions last season in a nationally televised Monday night game in Week 4. He also took more shots downfield in that game than others, averaging 11.04 yards per attempt and 7.46 yards per dropback against Detroit.

The way the Lions have played against opposing quarterbacks this season, though, that would be close to average.

As for the run?

According to ESPN Stats and Information, from 2012 to 2015, the Seahawks had nine games in which they failed to rush for 100 yards. That happened in 10 of 16 games during the 2016 regular season.

Against a shaky 49ers run defense, the Seahawks totaled just 87 yards on 25 carries. Thomas Rawls has battled through injuries and struggled to build from his rookie season, finishing with 349 rushing yards on 109 attempts (3.20 yards per carry).

Wilson's 259 rushing yards are the lowest total of his career. The run-blocking has been an issue throughout the season.

The Lions rank 22nd against the run, according to Football Outsiders. The Packers ran for 153 yards against them and averaged 4.9 yards per carry.

The Seahawks want to find balance whenever they can, but at this point, they know the run game is not the strength it has been in previous years.

Meanwhile, head coach Pete Carroll said on Monday that rookie running back C.J. Prosise, who has missed the last six games with a fractured scapula is "getting close now," though it sounds like a return this week is not in the cards.

But if the Seahawks advance to face the Atlanta Falcons next week, Prosise will have a chance of being available.

"A very encouraging report today," Carroll said on Tuesday. "He had a CT scan that was really positive. He's working hard and running hard. We're going to see what happens. If we have the good fortune of winning this week, we'll take a look at next week. He's going to run really hard this week with the thought that he's going to practice next week. If we can give him that opportunity it would be great."

The Seahawks will have a new long snapper for Saturday night's Wild Card game against the Lions.

The team announced on Tuesday that they have placed Nolan Frese on injured reserve as a result of the ankle injury that he suffered in Week 17. Frese played the entire game, but had a bad snap that went over punter Jon Ryan's head for a safety in the third quarter of the 25-23 victory.

"He couldn't run at all, so he was just clomping around on a totally casted foot to get through the game," Carroll said of Frese.

Seattle signed Tyler Ott to take Frese's place on the roster and take over the snapping duties. Ott played three games for the Bengals earlier this season and saw action in one game for the Giants last year.

It's not the only issue Seattle's special teams have had. Frese has had poor snaps while healthy too. Kicker Steven Hauschka has missed 10 kicks this year -- six extra points and four field goals -- and six of the misses were due to blocked kicks.

"There's just some funky kicks we've made," Carroll said. "(Hauschka) hit four great field goals yesterday and did a great job but there was an extra point that was low.

Also. ... Veteran return man Devin Hester is signing with the Seahawks for the playoffs, Jay Glazer of FOXSports first reported Tuesday night.

The Ravens cut Hester, 34, in December. He handled their return duties for 12 games this season.

The Seahawks needed a returner after losing speedy second-year man Tyler Lockett to a Week 16 broken leg. They open the playoffs Saturday night vs. the Lions.

Hester is a four-time Pro Bowler and a three time first-team All-Pro. He played eight seasons for the Bears and the last two for the Falcons before signing with the Ravens in September.


DEPTH CHART
QBs: Bryce Young, Andy Dalton
RBs: Chuba Hubbard, Miles Sanders, Raheem Blackshear
WRs: Adam Thielen, Diontae Johnson, Jonathan Mingo, D.J. Chark, Terrace Marshall Jr., Laviska Shenault, Ihmir Smith-Marsette, Mike Strachan
TEs: Tommy Tremble, Stephen Sullivan, Ian Thomas, Hayden Hurst

Chicago Bears

 Compiled by FootballDiehards Editor Bob Harris | Updated 4 January 2017

The Seattle Seahawks enter the postseason as the No. 3 seed in the NFC and will host the Detroit Lions on Saturday at CenturyLink Field.

The passing attack has been inconsistent for much of the season, but if the Seahawks are going to go on a playoff run, ESPN.com's Sheil Kapadia believes this is where they'll have to make up for deficiencies elsewhere.

Russell Wilson suffered three injuries in the first six games of the season and has never looked completely healthy. He deserves credit for the work he put in to stay on the field (Wilson didn't miss a start) and still completed 64.7 percent of his passes while averaging 7.73 yards per attempt with 21 touchdowns and 11 interceptions.

His favorite targets -- Doug Baldwin (94 catches, 1,128 yards, seven touchdowns) and Jimmy Graham (65 catches, 923 yards, six touchdowns) -- both had great seasons and will present matchup problems against a Lions defense that went into Week 17 allowing opposing quarterbacks to complete a league-high 72.9 percent of their passes.

Pass protection is always a question with the Seahawks, but the Lions produced pressure on just 19.8 percent of their opponents' dropbacks, the worst percentage in the NFL. Detroit's sack percentage (4.6) ranked 29th. The Lions had one sack and four hits on Aaron Rodgers on Sunday, but the Green Bay Packers' offensive line is superior to the Seahawks' line.

The good news?

ESPN.com's Michael Rothstein pointed out the Lions set an NFL record this season by allowing opposing quarterbacks to complete 72.7 percent of passes against them. It broke a record established by another team coached by Jim Caldwell -- the 2011 Indianapolis Colts. They allowed opposing quarterbacks to complete 71.2 percent of passes against them.

The Lions were a full percentage point worse.

Now, the Lions have to face one of the game's more accurate quarterbacks in the playoffs in Wilson, who has completed at least 63 percent of his passes in every season of his career -- including the above-mentioned 64.7 percent this season.

Unlike many other quarterbacks Detroit has faced, the rushing potential for Wilson is something that makes him even more dangerous.

"You just have to get them down enough times," Caldwell said. "We just didn't get him down enough times. You're not going to completely stop Russell Wilson. No one has at this point throughout his career.

"So you've just got to get him down enough times to be able to stall the drives and be able to answer with points. That's the real key."

And the last time the Lions faced Wilson, he was insanely accurate against Detroit. He completed 20 of 26 passes (76.9 percent) against the Lions last season in a nationally televised Monday night game in Week 4. He also took more shots downfield in that game than others, averaging 11.04 yards per attempt and 7.46 yards per dropback against Detroit.

The way the Lions have played against opposing quarterbacks this season, though, that would be close to average.

As for the run?

According to ESPN Stats and Information, from 2012 to 2015, the Seahawks had nine games in which they failed to rush for 100 yards. That happened in 10 of 16 games during the 2016 regular season.

Against a shaky 49ers run defense, the Seahawks totaled just 87 yards on 25 carries. Thomas Rawls has battled through injuries and struggled to build from his rookie season, finishing with 349 rushing yards on 109 attempts (3.20 yards per carry).

Wilson's 259 rushing yards are the lowest total of his career. The run-blocking has been an issue throughout the season.

The Lions rank 22nd against the run, according to Football Outsiders. The Packers ran for 153 yards against them and averaged 4.9 yards per carry.

The Seahawks want to find balance whenever they can, but at this point, they know the run game is not the strength it has been in previous years.

Meanwhile, head coach Pete Carroll said on Monday that rookie running back C.J. Prosise, who has missed the last six games with a fractured scapula is "getting close now," though it sounds like a return this week is not in the cards.

But if the Seahawks advance to face the Atlanta Falcons next week, Prosise will have a chance of being available.

"A very encouraging report today," Carroll said on Tuesday. "He had a CT scan that was really positive. He's working hard and running hard. We're going to see what happens. If we have the good fortune of winning this week, we'll take a look at next week. He's going to run really hard this week with the thought that he's going to practice next week. If we can give him that opportunity it would be great."

The Seahawks will have a new long snapper for Saturday night's Wild Card game against the Lions.

The team announced on Tuesday that they have placed Nolan Frese on injured reserve as a result of the ankle injury that he suffered in Week 17. Frese played the entire game, but had a bad snap that went over punter Jon Ryan's head for a safety in the third quarter of the 25-23 victory.

"He couldn't run at all, so he was just clomping around on a totally casted foot to get through the game," Carroll said of Frese.

Seattle signed Tyler Ott to take Frese's place on the roster and take over the snapping duties. Ott played three games for the Bengals earlier this season and saw action in one game for the Giants last year.

It's not the only issue Seattle's special teams have had. Frese has had poor snaps while healthy too. Kicker Steven Hauschka has missed 10 kicks this year -- six extra points and four field goals -- and six of the misses were due to blocked kicks.

"There's just some funky kicks we've made," Carroll said. "(Hauschka) hit four great field goals yesterday and did a great job but there was an extra point that was low.

Also. ... Veteran return man Devin Hester is signing with the Seahawks for the playoffs, Jay Glazer of FOXSports first reported Tuesday night.

The Ravens cut Hester, 34, in December. He handled their return duties for 12 games this season.

The Seahawks needed a returner after losing speedy second-year man Tyler Lockett to a Week 16 broken leg. They open the playoffs Saturday night vs. the Lions.

Hester is a four-time Pro Bowler and a three time first-team All-Pro. He played eight seasons for the Bears and the last two for the Falcons before signing with the Ravens in September.


DEPTH CHART
QBs: Tyson Bagent, Nathan Peterman
RBs: Khalil Herbert, D'Andre Swift, Roschon Johnson, Travis Homer, Khari Blasingame
WRs: D.J. Moore, Keenan Allen, Tyler Scott, Trent Taylor, Velus Jones Jr., Equanimeous St. Brown
TEs: Gerald Everett, Cole Kmet, Robert Tonyan, Marcedes Lewis, Jake Tonges

Cincinnati Bengals

 Compiled by FootballDiehards Editor Bob Harris | Updated 4 January 2017

The Seattle Seahawks enter the postseason as the No. 3 seed in the NFC and will host the Detroit Lions on Saturday at CenturyLink Field.

The passing attack has been inconsistent for much of the season, but if the Seahawks are going to go on a playoff run, ESPN.com's Sheil Kapadia believes this is where they'll have to make up for deficiencies elsewhere.

Russell Wilson suffered three injuries in the first six games of the season and has never looked completely healthy. He deserves credit for the work he put in to stay on the field (Wilson didn't miss a start) and still completed 64.7 percent of his passes while averaging 7.73 yards per attempt with 21 touchdowns and 11 interceptions.

His favorite targets -- Doug Baldwin (94 catches, 1,128 yards, seven touchdowns) and Jimmy Graham (65 catches, 923 yards, six touchdowns) -- both had great seasons and will present matchup problems against a Lions defense that went into Week 17 allowing opposing quarterbacks to complete a league-high 72.9 percent of their passes.

Pass protection is always a question with the Seahawks, but the Lions produced pressure on just 19.8 percent of their opponents' dropbacks, the worst percentage in the NFL. Detroit's sack percentage (4.6) ranked 29th. The Lions had one sack and four hits on Aaron Rodgers on Sunday, but the Green Bay Packers' offensive line is superior to the Seahawks' line.

The good news?

ESPN.com's Michael Rothstein pointed out the Lions set an NFL record this season by allowing opposing quarterbacks to complete 72.7 percent of passes against them. It broke a record established by another team coached by Jim Caldwell -- the 2011 Indianapolis Colts. They allowed opposing quarterbacks to complete 71.2 percent of passes against them.

The Lions were a full percentage point worse.

Now, the Lions have to face one of the game's more accurate quarterbacks in the playoffs in Wilson, who has completed at least 63 percent of his passes in every season of his career -- including the above-mentioned 64.7 percent this season.

Unlike many other quarterbacks Detroit has faced, the rushing potential for Wilson is something that makes him even more dangerous.

"You just have to get them down enough times," Caldwell said. "We just didn't get him down enough times. You're not going to completely stop Russell Wilson. No one has at this point throughout his career.

"So you've just got to get him down enough times to be able to stall the drives and be able to answer with points. That's the real key."

And the last time the Lions faced Wilson, he was insanely accurate against Detroit. He completed 20 of 26 passes (76.9 percent) against the Lions last season in a nationally televised Monday night game in Week 4. He also took more shots downfield in that game than others, averaging 11.04 yards per attempt and 7.46 yards per dropback against Detroit.

The way the Lions have played against opposing quarterbacks this season, though, that would be close to average.

As for the run?

According to ESPN Stats and Information, from 2012 to 2015, the Seahawks had nine games in which they failed to rush for 100 yards. That happened in 10 of 16 games during the 2016 regular season.

Against a shaky 49ers run defense, the Seahawks totaled just 87 yards on 25 carries. Thomas Rawls has battled through injuries and struggled to build from his rookie season, finishing with 349 rushing yards on 109 attempts (3.20 yards per carry).

Wilson's 259 rushing yards are the lowest total of his career. The run-blocking has been an issue throughout the season.

The Lions rank 22nd against the run, according to Football Outsiders. The Packers ran for 153 yards against them and averaged 4.9 yards per carry.

The Seahawks want to find balance whenever they can, but at this point, they know the run game is not the strength it has been in previous years.

Meanwhile, head coach Pete Carroll said on Monday that rookie running back C.J. Prosise, who has missed the last six games with a fractured scapula is "getting close now," though it sounds like a return this week is not in the cards.

But if the Seahawks advance to face the Atlanta Falcons next week, Prosise will have a chance of being available.

"A very encouraging report today," Carroll said on Tuesday. "He had a CT scan that was really positive. He's working hard and running hard. We're going to see what happens. If we have the good fortune of winning this week, we'll take a look at next week. He's going to run really hard this week with the thought that he's going to practice next week. If we can give him that opportunity it would be great."

The Seahawks will have a new long snapper for Saturday night's Wild Card game against the Lions.

The team announced on Tuesday that they have placed Nolan Frese on injured reserve as a result of the ankle injury that he suffered in Week 17. Frese played the entire game, but had a bad snap that went over punter Jon Ryan's head for a safety in the third quarter of the 25-23 victory.

"He couldn't run at all, so he was just clomping around on a totally casted foot to get through the game," Carroll said of Frese.

Seattle signed Tyler Ott to take Frese's place on the roster and take over the snapping duties. Ott played three games for the Bengals earlier this season and saw action in one game for the Giants last year.

It's not the only issue Seattle's special teams have had. Frese has had poor snaps while healthy too. Kicker Steven Hauschka has missed 10 kicks this year -- six extra points and four field goals -- and six of the misses were due to blocked kicks.

"There's just some funky kicks we've made," Carroll said. "(Hauschka) hit four great field goals yesterday and did a great job but there was an extra point that was low.

Also. ... Veteran return man Devin Hester is signing with the Seahawks for the playoffs, Jay Glazer of FOXSports first reported Tuesday night.

The Ravens cut Hester, 34, in December. He handled their return duties for 12 games this season.

The Seahawks needed a returner after losing speedy second-year man Tyler Lockett to a Week 16 broken leg. They open the playoffs Saturday night vs. the Lions.

Hester is a four-time Pro Bowler and a three time first-team All-Pro. He played eight seasons for the Bears and the last two for the Falcons before signing with the Ravens in September.


DEPTH CHART
QBs: Jake Browning, Joe Burrow
RBs: Zack Moss, Chase Brown, Chris Evans, Trayveon Williams
WRs: Ja'Marr Chase, Tee Higgins, Trenton Irwin, Andrei Iosivas, Charlie Jones
TEs: Irv Smith Jr., Mike Gesicki, Tanner Hudson, Drew Sample, Mitchell Wilcox

Cleveland Browns

 Compiled by FootballDiehards Editor Bob Harris | Updated 4 January 2017

The Seattle Seahawks enter the postseason as the No. 3 seed in the NFC and will host the Detroit Lions on Saturday at CenturyLink Field.

The passing attack has been inconsistent for much of the season, but if the Seahawks are going to go on a playoff run, ESPN.com's Sheil Kapadia believes this is where they'll have to make up for deficiencies elsewhere.

Russell Wilson suffered three injuries in the first six games of the season and has never looked completely healthy. He deserves credit for the work he put in to stay on the field (Wilson didn't miss a start) and still completed 64.7 percent of his passes while averaging 7.73 yards per attempt with 21 touchdowns and 11 interceptions.

His favorite targets -- Doug Baldwin (94 catches, 1,128 yards, seven touchdowns) and Jimmy Graham (65 catches, 923 yards, six touchdowns) -- both had great seasons and will present matchup problems against a Lions defense that went into Week 17 allowing opposing quarterbacks to complete a league-high 72.9 percent of their passes.

Pass protection is always a question with the Seahawks, but the Lions produced pressure on just 19.8 percent of their opponents' dropbacks, the worst percentage in the NFL. Detroit's sack percentage (4.6) ranked 29th. The Lions had one sack and four hits on Aaron Rodgers on Sunday, but the Green Bay Packers' offensive line is superior to the Seahawks' line.

The good news?

ESPN.com's Michael Rothstein pointed out the Lions set an NFL record this season by allowing opposing quarterbacks to complete 72.7 percent of passes against them. It broke a record established by another team coached by Jim Caldwell -- the 2011 Indianapolis Colts. They allowed opposing quarterbacks to complete 71.2 percent of passes against them.

The Lions were a full percentage point worse.

Now, the Lions have to face one of the game's more accurate quarterbacks in the playoffs in Wilson, who has completed at least 63 percent of his passes in every season of his career -- including the above-mentioned 64.7 percent this season.

Unlike many other quarterbacks Detroit has faced, the rushing potential for Wilson is something that makes him even more dangerous.

"You just have to get them down enough times," Caldwell said. "We just didn't get him down enough times. You're not going to completely stop Russell Wilson. No one has at this point throughout his career.

"So you've just got to get him down enough times to be able to stall the drives and be able to answer with points. That's the real key."

And the last time the Lions faced Wilson, he was insanely accurate against Detroit. He completed 20 of 26 passes (76.9 percent) against the Lions last season in a nationally televised Monday night game in Week 4. He also took more shots downfield in that game than others, averaging 11.04 yards per attempt and 7.46 yards per dropback against Detroit.

The way the Lions have played against opposing quarterbacks this season, though, that would be close to average.

As for the run?

According to ESPN Stats and Information, from 2012 to 2015, the Seahawks had nine games in which they failed to rush for 100 yards. That happened in 10 of 16 games during the 2016 regular season.

Against a shaky 49ers run defense, the Seahawks totaled just 87 yards on 25 carries. Thomas Rawls has battled through injuries and struggled to build from his rookie season, finishing with 349 rushing yards on 109 attempts (3.20 yards per carry).

Wilson's 259 rushing yards are the lowest total of his career. The run-blocking has been an issue throughout the season.

The Lions rank 22nd against the run, according to Football Outsiders. The Packers ran for 153 yards against them and averaged 4.9 yards per carry.

The Seahawks want to find balance whenever they can, but at this point, they know the run game is not the strength it has been in previous years.

Meanwhile, head coach Pete Carroll said on Monday that rookie running back C.J. Prosise, who has missed the last six games with a fractured scapula is "getting close now," though it sounds like a return this week is not in the cards.

But if the Seahawks advance to face the Atlanta Falcons next week, Prosise will have a chance of being available.

"A very encouraging report today," Carroll said on Tuesday. "He had a CT scan that was really positive. He's working hard and running hard. We're going to see what happens. If we have the good fortune of winning this week, we'll take a look at next week. He's going to run really hard this week with the thought that he's going to practice next week. If we can give him that opportunity it would be great."

The Seahawks will have a new long snapper for Saturday night's Wild Card game against the Lions.

The team announced on Tuesday that they have placed Nolan Frese on injured reserve as a result of the ankle injury that he suffered in Week 17. Frese played the entire game, but had a bad snap that went over punter Jon Ryan's head for a safety in the third quarter of the 25-23 victory.

"He couldn't run at all, so he was just clomping around on a totally casted foot to get through the game," Carroll said of Frese.

Seattle signed Tyler Ott to take Frese's place on the roster and take over the snapping duties. Ott played three games for the Bengals earlier this season and saw action in one game for the Giants last year.

It's not the only issue Seattle's special teams have had. Frese has had poor snaps while healthy too. Kicker Steven Hauschka has missed 10 kicks this year -- six extra points and four field goals -- and six of the misses were due to blocked kicks.

"There's just some funky kicks we've made," Carroll said. "(Hauschka) hit four great field goals yesterday and did a great job but there was an extra point that was low.

Also. ... Veteran return man Devin Hester is signing with the Seahawks for the playoffs, Jay Glazer of FOXSports first reported Tuesday night.

The Ravens cut Hester, 34, in December. He handled their return duties for 12 games this season.

The Seahawks needed a returner after losing speedy second-year man Tyler Lockett to a Week 16 broken leg. They open the playoffs Saturday night vs. the Lions.

Hester is a four-time Pro Bowler and a three time first-team All-Pro. He played eight seasons for the Bears and the last two for the Falcons before signing with the Ravens in September.


DEPTH CHART
QBs: Jameis Winston, Dorian Thompson-Robinson, Tyler Huntley, Deshaun Watson
RBs: Jerome Ford, D'Onta Foreman, Pierre Strong Jr., Nick Chubb
WRs: Amari Cooper, Elijah Moore, Jerry Jeudy, Cedric Tillman, Marquise Goodwin, David Bell
TEs: David Njoku, Jordan Akins, Harrison Bryant

Dallas Cowboys

 Compiled by FootballDiehards Editor Bob Harris | Updated 4 January 2017

The Seattle Seahawks enter the postseason as the No. 3 seed in the NFC and will host the Detroit Lions on Saturday at CenturyLink Field.

The passing attack has been inconsistent for much of the season, but if the Seahawks are going to go on a playoff run, ESPN.com's Sheil Kapadia believes this is where they'll have to make up for deficiencies elsewhere.

Russell Wilson suffered three injuries in the first six games of the season and has never looked completely healthy. He deserves credit for the work he put in to stay on the field (Wilson didn't miss a start) and still completed 64.7 percent of his passes while averaging 7.73 yards per attempt with 21 touchdowns and 11 interceptions.

His favorite targets -- Doug Baldwin (94 catches, 1,128 yards, seven touchdowns) and Jimmy Graham (65 catches, 923 yards, six touchdowns) -- both had great seasons and will present matchup problems against a Lions defense that went into Week 17 allowing opposing quarterbacks to complete a league-high 72.9 percent of their passes.

Pass protection is always a question with the Seahawks, but the Lions produced pressure on just 19.8 percent of their opponents' dropbacks, the worst percentage in the NFL. Detroit's sack percentage (4.6) ranked 29th. The Lions had one sack and four hits on Aaron Rodgers on Sunday, but the Green Bay Packers' offensive line is superior to the Seahawks' line.

The good news?

ESPN.com's Michael Rothstein pointed out the Lions set an NFL record this season by allowing opposing quarterbacks to complete 72.7 percent of passes against them. It broke a record established by another team coached by Jim Caldwell -- the 2011 Indianapolis Colts. They allowed opposing quarterbacks to complete 71.2 percent of passes against them.

The Lions were a full percentage point worse.

Now, the Lions have to face one of the game's more accurate quarterbacks in the playoffs in Wilson, who has completed at least 63 percent of his passes in every season of his career -- including the above-mentioned 64.7 percent this season.

Unlike many other quarterbacks Detroit has faced, the rushing potential for Wilson is something that makes him even more dangerous.

"You just have to get them down enough times," Caldwell said. "We just didn't get him down enough times. You're not going to completely stop Russell Wilson. No one has at this point throughout his career.

"So you've just got to get him down enough times to be able to stall the drives and be able to answer with points. That's the real key."

And the last time the Lions faced Wilson, he was insanely accurate against Detroit. He completed 20 of 26 passes (76.9 percent) against the Lions last season in a nationally televised Monday night game in Week 4. He also took more shots downfield in that game than others, averaging 11.04 yards per attempt and 7.46 yards per dropback against Detroit.

The way the Lions have played against opposing quarterbacks this season, though, that would be close to average.

As for the run?

According to ESPN Stats and Information, from 2012 to 2015, the Seahawks had nine games in which they failed to rush for 100 yards. That happened in 10 of 16 games during the 2016 regular season.

Against a shaky 49ers run defense, the Seahawks totaled just 87 yards on 25 carries. Thomas Rawls has battled through injuries and struggled to build from his rookie season, finishing with 349 rushing yards on 109 attempts (3.20 yards per carry).

Wilson's 259 rushing yards are the lowest total of his career. The run-blocking has been an issue throughout the season.

The Lions rank 22nd against the run, according to Football Outsiders. The Packers ran for 153 yards against them and averaged 4.9 yards per carry.

The Seahawks want to find balance whenever they can, but at this point, they know the run game is not the strength it has been in previous years.

Meanwhile, head coach Pete Carroll said on Monday that rookie running back C.J. Prosise, who has missed the last six games with a fractured scapula is "getting close now," though it sounds like a return this week is not in the cards.

But if the Seahawks advance to face the Atlanta Falcons next week, Prosise will have a chance of being available.

"A very encouraging report today," Carroll said on Tuesday. "He had a CT scan that was really positive. He's working hard and running hard. We're going to see what happens. If we have the good fortune of winning this week, we'll take a look at next week. He's going to run really hard this week with the thought that he's going to practice next week. If we can give him that opportunity it would be great."

The Seahawks will have a new long snapper for Saturday night's Wild Card game against the Lions.

The team announced on Tuesday that they have placed Nolan Frese on injured reserve as a result of the ankle injury that he suffered in Week 17. Frese played the entire game, but had a bad snap that went over punter Jon Ryan's head for a safety in the third quarter of the 25-23 victory.

"He couldn't run at all, so he was just clomping around on a totally casted foot to get through the game," Carroll said of Frese.

Seattle signed Tyler Ott to take Frese's place on the roster and take over the snapping duties. Ott played three games for the Bengals earlier this season and saw action in one game for the Giants last year.

It's not the only issue Seattle's special teams have had. Frese has had poor snaps while healthy too. Kicker Steven Hauschka has missed 10 kicks this year -- six extra points and four field goals -- and six of the misses were due to blocked kicks.

"There's just some funky kicks we've made," Carroll said. "(Hauschka) hit four great field goals yesterday and did a great job but there was an extra point that was low.

Also. ... Veteran return man Devin Hester is signing with the Seahawks for the playoffs, Jay Glazer of FOXSports first reported Tuesday night.

The Ravens cut Hester, 34, in December. He handled their return duties for 12 games this season.

The Seahawks needed a returner after losing speedy second-year man Tyler Lockett to a Week 16 broken leg. They open the playoffs Saturday night vs. the Lions.

Hester is a four-time Pro Bowler and a three time first-team All-Pro. He played eight seasons for the Bears and the last two for the Falcons before signing with the Ravens in September.


DEPTH CHART
QBs: Dak Prescott, Cooper Rush, Trey Lance
RBs: Ezekiel Elliott, Rico Dowdle, Deuce Vaughn, Hunter Luepke
WRs: CeeDee Lamb, Brandin Cooks, Michael Gallup, Jalen Tolbert, KaVontae Turpin, Jalen Brooks
TEs: Jake Ferguson, Luke Schoonmaker, Peyton Hendershot

Denver Broncos

 Compiled by FootballDiehards Editor Bob Harris | Updated 4 January 2017

The Seattle Seahawks enter the postseason as the No. 3 seed in the NFC and will host the Detroit Lions on Saturday at CenturyLink Field.

The passing attack has been inconsistent for much of the season, but if the Seahawks are going to go on a playoff run, ESPN.com's Sheil Kapadia believes this is where they'll have to make up for deficiencies elsewhere.

Russell Wilson suffered three injuries in the first six games of the season and has never looked completely healthy. He deserves credit for the work he put in to stay on the field (Wilson didn't miss a start) and still completed 64.7 percent of his passes while averaging 7.73 yards per attempt with 21 touchdowns and 11 interceptions.

His favorite targets -- Doug Baldwin (94 catches, 1,128 yards, seven touchdowns) and Jimmy Graham (65 catches, 923 yards, six touchdowns) -- both had great seasons and will present matchup problems against a Lions defense that went into Week 17 allowing opposing quarterbacks to complete a league-high 72.9 percent of their passes.

Pass protection is always a question with the Seahawks, but the Lions produced pressure on just 19.8 percent of their opponents' dropbacks, the worst percentage in the NFL. Detroit's sack percentage (4.6) ranked 29th. The Lions had one sack and four hits on Aaron Rodgers on Sunday, but the Green Bay Packers' offensive line is superior to the Seahawks' line.

The good news?

ESPN.com's Michael Rothstein pointed out the Lions set an NFL record this season by allowing opposing quarterbacks to complete 72.7 percent of passes against them. It broke a record established by another team coached by Jim Caldwell -- the 2011 Indianapolis Colts. They allowed opposing quarterbacks to complete 71.2 percent of passes against them.

The Lions were a full percentage point worse.

Now, the Lions have to face one of the game's more accurate quarterbacks in the playoffs in Wilson, who has completed at least 63 percent of his passes in every season of his career -- including the above-mentioned 64.7 percent this season.

Unlike many other quarterbacks Detroit has faced, the rushing potential for Wilson is something that makes him even more dangerous.

"You just have to get them down enough times," Caldwell said. "We just didn't get him down enough times. You're not going to completely stop Russell Wilson. No one has at this point throughout his career.

"So you've just got to get him down enough times to be able to stall the drives and be able to answer with points. That's the real key."

And the last time the Lions faced Wilson, he was insanely accurate against Detroit. He completed 20 of 26 passes (76.9 percent) against the Lions last season in a nationally televised Monday night game in Week 4. He also took more shots downfield in that game than others, averaging 11.04 yards per attempt and 7.46 yards per dropback against Detroit.

The way the Lions have played against opposing quarterbacks this season, though, that would be close to average.

As for the run?

According to ESPN Stats and Information, from 2012 to 2015, the Seahawks had nine games in which they failed to rush for 100 yards. That happened in 10 of 16 games during the 2016 regular season.

Against a shaky 49ers run defense, the Seahawks totaled just 87 yards on 25 carries. Thomas Rawls has battled through injuries and struggled to build from his rookie season, finishing with 349 rushing yards on 109 attempts (3.20 yards per carry).

Wilson's 259 rushing yards are the lowest total of his career. The run-blocking has been an issue throughout the season.

The Lions rank 22nd against the run, according to Football Outsiders. The Packers ran for 153 yards against them and averaged 4.9 yards per carry.

The Seahawks want to find balance whenever they can, but at this point, they know the run game is not the strength it has been in previous years.

Meanwhile, head coach Pete Carroll said on Monday that rookie running back C.J. Prosise, who has missed the last six games with a fractured scapula is "getting close now," though it sounds like a return this week is not in the cards.

But if the Seahawks advance to face the Atlanta Falcons next week, Prosise will have a chance of being available.

"A very encouraging report today," Carroll said on Tuesday. "He had a CT scan that was really positive. He's working hard and running hard. We're going to see what happens. If we have the good fortune of winning this week, we'll take a look at next week. He's going to run really hard this week with the thought that he's going to practice next week. If we can give him that opportunity it would be great."

The Seahawks will have a new long snapper for Saturday night's Wild Card game against the Lions.

The team announced on Tuesday that they have placed Nolan Frese on injured reserve as a result of the ankle injury that he suffered in Week 17. Frese played the entire game, but had a bad snap that went over punter Jon Ryan's head for a safety in the third quarter of the 25-23 victory.

"He couldn't run at all, so he was just clomping around on a totally casted foot to get through the game," Carroll said of Frese.

Seattle signed Tyler Ott to take Frese's place on the roster and take over the snapping duties. Ott played three games for the Bengals earlier this season and saw action in one game for the Giants last year.

It's not the only issue Seattle's special teams have had. Frese has had poor snaps while healthy too. Kicker Steven Hauschka has missed 10 kicks this year -- six extra points and four field goals -- and six of the misses were due to blocked kicks.

"There's just some funky kicks we've made," Carroll said. "(Hauschka) hit four great field goals yesterday and did a great job but there was an extra point that was low.

Also. ... Veteran return man Devin Hester is signing with the Seahawks for the playoffs, Jay Glazer of FOXSports first reported Tuesday night.

The Ravens cut Hester, 34, in December. He handled their return duties for 12 games this season.

The Seahawks needed a returner after losing speedy second-year man Tyler Lockett to a Week 16 broken leg. They open the playoffs Saturday night vs. the Lions.

Hester is a four-time Pro Bowler and a three time first-team All-Pro. He played eight seasons for the Bears and the last two for the Falcons before signing with the Ravens in September.


DEPTH CHART
QBs: Zach Wilson, Jarrett Stidham
RBs: Javonte Williams, Jaleel McLaughlin, Samaje Perine
WRs: Courtland Sutton, Marvin Mims Jr., Lil'Jordan Humphrey, Brandon Johnson
TEs: Adam Trautman, Chris Manhertz, Greg Dulcich

Detroit Lions

 Compiled by FootballDiehards Editor Bob Harris | Updated 4 January 2017

The Seattle Seahawks enter the postseason as the No. 3 seed in the NFC and will host the Detroit Lions on Saturday at CenturyLink Field.

The passing attack has been inconsistent for much of the season, but if the Seahawks are going to go on a playoff run, ESPN.com's Sheil Kapadia believes this is where they'll have to make up for deficiencies elsewhere.

Russell Wilson suffered three injuries in the first six games of the season and has never looked completely healthy. He deserves credit for the work he put in to stay on the field (Wilson didn't miss a start) and still completed 64.7 percent of his passes while averaging 7.73 yards per attempt with 21 touchdowns and 11 interceptions.

His favorite targets -- Doug Baldwin (94 catches, 1,128 yards, seven touchdowns) and Jimmy Graham (65 catches, 923 yards, six touchdowns) -- both had great seasons and will present matchup problems against a Lions defense that went into Week 17 allowing opposing quarterbacks to complete a league-high 72.9 percent of their passes.

Pass protection is always a question with the Seahawks, but the Lions produced pressure on just 19.8 percent of their opponents' dropbacks, the worst percentage in the NFL. Detroit's sack percentage (4.6) ranked 29th. The Lions had one sack and four hits on Aaron Rodgers on Sunday, but the Green Bay Packers' offensive line is superior to the Seahawks' line.

The good news?

ESPN.com's Michael Rothstein pointed out the Lions set an NFL record this season by allowing opposing quarterbacks to complete 72.7 percent of passes against them. It broke a record established by another team coached by Jim Caldwell -- the 2011 Indianapolis Colts. They allowed opposing quarterbacks to complete 71.2 percent of passes against them.

The Lions were a full percentage point worse.

Now, the Lions have to face one of the game's more accurate quarterbacks in the playoffs in Wilson, who has completed at least 63 percent of his passes in every season of his career -- including the above-mentioned 64.7 percent this season.

Unlike many other quarterbacks Detroit has faced, the rushing potential for Wilson is something that makes him even more dangerous.

"You just have to get them down enough times," Caldwell said. "We just didn't get him down enough times. You're not going to completely stop Russell Wilson. No one has at this point throughout his career.

"So you've just got to get him down enough times to be able to stall the drives and be able to answer with points. That's the real key."

And the last time the Lions faced Wilson, he was insanely accurate against Detroit. He completed 20 of 26 passes (76.9 percent) against the Lions last season in a nationally televised Monday night game in Week 4. He also took more shots downfield in that game than others, averaging 11.04 yards per attempt and 7.46 yards per dropback against Detroit.

The way the Lions have played against opposing quarterbacks this season, though, that would be close to average.

As for the run?

According to ESPN Stats and Information, from 2012 to 2015, the Seahawks had nine games in which they failed to rush for 100 yards. That happened in 10 of 16 games during the 2016 regular season.

Against a shaky 49ers run defense, the Seahawks totaled just 87 yards on 25 carries. Thomas Rawls has battled through injuries and struggled to build from his rookie season, finishing with 349 rushing yards on 109 attempts (3.20 yards per carry).

Wilson's 259 rushing yards are the lowest total of his career. The run-blocking has been an issue throughout the season.

The Lions rank 22nd against the run, according to Football Outsiders. The Packers ran for 153 yards against them and averaged 4.9 yards per carry.

The Seahawks want to find balance whenever they can, but at this point, they know the run game is not the strength it has been in previous years.

Meanwhile, head coach Pete Carroll said on Monday that rookie running back C.J. Prosise, who has missed the last six games with a fractured scapula is "getting close now," though it sounds like a return this week is not in the cards.

But if the Seahawks advance to face the Atlanta Falcons next week, Prosise will have a chance of being available.

"A very encouraging report today," Carroll said on Tuesday. "He had a CT scan that was really positive. He's working hard and running hard. We're going to see what happens. If we have the good fortune of winning this week, we'll take a look at next week. He's going to run really hard this week with the thought that he's going to practice next week. If we can give him that opportunity it would be great."

The Seahawks will have a new long snapper for Saturday night's Wild Card game against the Lions.

The team announced on Tuesday that they have placed Nolan Frese on injured reserve as a result of the ankle injury that he suffered in Week 17. Frese played the entire game, but had a bad snap that went over punter Jon Ryan's head for a safety in the third quarter of the 25-23 victory.

"He couldn't run at all, so he was just clomping around on a totally casted foot to get through the game," Carroll said of Frese.

Seattle signed Tyler Ott to take Frese's place on the roster and take over the snapping duties. Ott played three games for the Bengals earlier this season and saw action in one game for the Giants last year.

It's not the only issue Seattle's special teams have had. Frese has had poor snaps while healthy too. Kicker Steven Hauschka has missed 10 kicks this year -- six extra points and four field goals -- and six of the misses were due to blocked kicks.

"There's just some funky kicks we've made," Carroll said. "(Hauschka) hit four great field goals yesterday and did a great job but there was an extra point that was low.

Also. ... Veteran return man Devin Hester is signing with the Seahawks for the playoffs, Jay Glazer of FOXSports first reported Tuesday night.

The Ravens cut Hester, 34, in December. He handled their return duties for 12 games this season.

The Seahawks needed a returner after losing speedy second-year man Tyler Lockett to a Week 16 broken leg. They open the playoffs Saturday night vs. the Lions.

Hester is a four-time Pro Bowler and a three time first-team All-Pro. He played eight seasons for the Bears and the last two for the Falcons before signing with the Ravens in September.


DEPTH CHART
QBs: Jared Goff, Teddy Bridgewater
RBs: David Montgomery, Jahmyr Gibbs, Craig Reynolds, Zonovan Knight
WRs: Amon-Ra St. Brown, Josh Reynolds, Kalif Raymond, Jameson Williams, Donovan Peoples-Jones, Antoine Green
TEs: Sam LaPorta, Brock Wright, James Mitchell

Green Bay Packers

 Compiled by FootballDiehards Editor Bob Harris | Updated 4 January 2017

The Seattle Seahawks enter the postseason as the No. 3 seed in the NFC and will host the Detroit Lions on Saturday at CenturyLink Field.

The passing attack has been inconsistent for much of the season, but if the Seahawks are going to go on a playoff run, ESPN.com's Sheil Kapadia believes this is where they'll have to make up for deficiencies elsewhere.

Russell Wilson suffered three injuries in the first six games of the season and has never looked completely healthy. He deserves credit for the work he put in to stay on the field (Wilson didn't miss a start) and still completed 64.7 percent of his passes while averaging 7.73 yards per attempt with 21 touchdowns and 11 interceptions.

His favorite targets -- Doug Baldwin (94 catches, 1,128 yards, seven touchdowns) and Jimmy Graham (65 catches, 923 yards, six touchdowns) -- both had great seasons and will present matchup problems against a Lions defense that went into Week 17 allowing opposing quarterbacks to complete a league-high 72.9 percent of their passes.

Pass protection is always a question with the Seahawks, but the Lions produced pressure on just 19.8 percent of their opponents' dropbacks, the worst percentage in the NFL. Detroit's sack percentage (4.6) ranked 29th. The Lions had one sack and four hits on Aaron Rodgers on Sunday, but the Green Bay Packers' offensive line is superior to the Seahawks' line.

The good news?

ESPN.com's Michael Rothstein pointed out the Lions set an NFL record this season by allowing opposing quarterbacks to complete 72.7 percent of passes against them. It broke a record established by another team coached by Jim Caldwell -- the 2011 Indianapolis Colts. They allowed opposing quarterbacks to complete 71.2 percent of passes against them.

The Lions were a full percentage point worse.

Now, the Lions have to face one of the game's more accurate quarterbacks in the playoffs in Wilson, who has completed at least 63 percent of his passes in every season of his career -- including the above-mentioned 64.7 percent this season.

Unlike many other quarterbacks Detroit has faced, the rushing potential for Wilson is something that makes him even more dangerous.

"You just have to get them down enough times," Caldwell said. "We just didn't get him down enough times. You're not going to completely stop Russell Wilson. No one has at this point throughout his career.

"So you've just got to get him down enough times to be able to stall the drives and be able to answer with points. That's the real key."

And the last time the Lions faced Wilson, he was insanely accurate against Detroit. He completed 20 of 26 passes (76.9 percent) against the Lions last season in a nationally televised Monday night game in Week 4. He also took more shots downfield in that game than others, averaging 11.04 yards per attempt and 7.46 yards per dropback against Detroit.

The way the Lions have played against opposing quarterbacks this season, though, that would be close to average.

As for the run?

According to ESPN Stats and Information, from 2012 to 2015, the Seahawks had nine games in which they failed to rush for 100 yards. That happened in 10 of 16 games during the 2016 regular season.

Against a shaky 49ers run defense, the Seahawks totaled just 87 yards on 25 carries. Thomas Rawls has battled through injuries and struggled to build from his rookie season, finishing with 349 rushing yards on 109 attempts (3.20 yards per carry).

Wilson's 259 rushing yards are the lowest total of his career. The run-blocking has been an issue throughout the season.

The Lions rank 22nd against the run, according to Football Outsiders. The Packers ran for 153 yards against them and averaged 4.9 yards per carry.

The Seahawks want to find balance whenever they can, but at this point, they know the run game is not the strength it has been in previous years.

Meanwhile, head coach Pete Carroll said on Monday that rookie running back C.J. Prosise, who has missed the last six games with a fractured scapula is "getting close now," though it sounds like a return this week is not in the cards.

But if the Seahawks advance to face the Atlanta Falcons next week, Prosise will have a chance of being available.

"A very encouraging report today," Carroll said on Tuesday. "He had a CT scan that was really positive. He's working hard and running hard. We're going to see what happens. If we have the good fortune of winning this week, we'll take a look at next week. He's going to run really hard this week with the thought that he's going to practice next week. If we can give him that opportunity it would be great."

The Seahawks will have a new long snapper for Saturday night's Wild Card game against the Lions.

The team announced on Tuesday that they have placed Nolan Frese on injured reserve as a result of the ankle injury that he suffered in Week 17. Frese played the entire game, but had a bad snap that went over punter Jon Ryan's head for a safety in the third quarter of the 25-23 victory.

"He couldn't run at all, so he was just clomping around on a totally casted foot to get through the game," Carroll said of Frese.

Seattle signed Tyler Ott to take Frese's place on the roster and take over the snapping duties. Ott played three games for the Bengals earlier this season and saw action in one game for the Giants last year.

It's not the only issue Seattle's special teams have had. Frese has had poor snaps while healthy too. Kicker Steven Hauschka has missed 10 kicks this year -- six extra points and four field goals -- and six of the misses were due to blocked kicks.

"There's just some funky kicks we've made," Carroll said. "(Hauschka) hit four great field goals yesterday and did a great job but there was an extra point that was low.

Also. ... Veteran return man Devin Hester is signing with the Seahawks for the playoffs, Jay Glazer of FOXSports first reported Tuesday night.

The Ravens cut Hester, 34, in December. He handled their return duties for 12 games this season.

The Seahawks needed a returner after losing speedy second-year man Tyler Lockett to a Week 16 broken leg. They open the playoffs Saturday night vs. the Lions.

Hester is a four-time Pro Bowler and a three time first-team All-Pro. He played eight seasons for the Bears and the last two for the Falcons before signing with the Ravens in September.


DEPTH CHART
QBs: Jordan Love, Sean Clifford
RBs: Josh Jacobs, A.J. Dillon, Patrick Taylor
WRs: Jayden Reed, Romeo Doubs, Christian Watson, Dontayvion Wicks, Samori Toure, Malik Heath
TEs: Tucker Kraft, Ben Sims, Josiah Deguara, Luke Musgrave

Houston Texans

 Compiled by FootballDiehards Editor Bob Harris | Updated 4 January 2017

The Seattle Seahawks enter the postseason as the No. 3 seed in the NFC and will host the Detroit Lions on Saturday at CenturyLink Field.

The passing attack has been inconsistent for much of the season, but if the Seahawks are going to go on a playoff run, ESPN.com's Sheil Kapadia believes this is where they'll have to make up for deficiencies elsewhere.

Russell Wilson suffered three injuries in the first six games of the season and has never looked completely healthy. He deserves credit for the work he put in to stay on the field (Wilson didn't miss a start) and still completed 64.7 percent of his passes while averaging 7.73 yards per attempt with 21 touchdowns and 11 interceptions.

His favorite targets -- Doug Baldwin (94 catches, 1,128 yards, seven touchdowns) and Jimmy Graham (65 catches, 923 yards, six touchdowns) -- both had great seasons and will present matchup problems against a Lions defense that went into Week 17 allowing opposing quarterbacks to complete a league-high 72.9 percent of their passes.

Pass protection is always a question with the Seahawks, but the Lions produced pressure on just 19.8 percent of their opponents' dropbacks, the worst percentage in the NFL. Detroit's sack percentage (4.6) ranked 29th. The Lions had one sack and four hits on Aaron Rodgers on Sunday, but the Green Bay Packers' offensive line is superior to the Seahawks' line.

The good news?

ESPN.com's Michael Rothstein pointed out the Lions set an NFL record this season by allowing opposing quarterbacks to complete 72.7 percent of passes against them. It broke a record established by another team coached by Jim Caldwell -- the 2011 Indianapolis Colts. They allowed opposing quarterbacks to complete 71.2 percent of passes against them.

The Lions were a full percentage point worse.

Now, the Lions have to face one of the game's more accurate quarterbacks in the playoffs in Wilson, who has completed at least 63 percent of his passes in every season of his career -- including the above-mentioned 64.7 percent this season.

Unlike many other quarterbacks Detroit has faced, the rushing potential for Wilson is something that makes him even more dangerous.

"You just have to get them down enough times," Caldwell said. "We just didn't get him down enough times. You're not going to completely stop Russell Wilson. No one has at this point throughout his career.

"So you've just got to get him down enough times to be able to stall the drives and be able to answer with points. That's the real key."

And the last time the Lions faced Wilson, he was insanely accurate against Detroit. He completed 20 of 26 passes (76.9 percent) against the Lions last season in a nationally televised Monday night game in Week 4. He also took more shots downfield in that game than others, averaging 11.04 yards per attempt and 7.46 yards per dropback against Detroit.

The way the Lions have played against opposing quarterbacks this season, though, that would be close to average.

As for the run?

According to ESPN Stats and Information, from 2012 to 2015, the Seahawks had nine games in which they failed to rush for 100 yards. That happened in 10 of 16 games during the 2016 regular season.

Against a shaky 49ers run defense, the Seahawks totaled just 87 yards on 25 carries. Thomas Rawls has battled through injuries and struggled to build from his rookie season, finishing with 349 rushing yards on 109 attempts (3.20 yards per carry).

Wilson's 259 rushing yards are the lowest total of his career. The run-blocking has been an issue throughout the season.

The Lions rank 22nd against the run, according to Football Outsiders. The Packers ran for 153 yards against them and averaged 4.9 yards per carry.

The Seahawks want to find balance whenever they can, but at this point, they know the run game is not the strength it has been in previous years.

Meanwhile, head coach Pete Carroll said on Monday that rookie running back C.J. Prosise, who has missed the last six games with a fractured scapula is "getting close now," though it sounds like a return this week is not in the cards.

But if the Seahawks advance to face the Atlanta Falcons next week, Prosise will have a chance of being available.

"A very encouraging report today," Carroll said on Tuesday. "He had a CT scan that was really positive. He's working hard and running hard. We're going to see what happens. If we have the good fortune of winning this week, we'll take a look at next week. He's going to run really hard this week with the thought that he's going to practice next week. If we can give him that opportunity it would be great."

The Seahawks will have a new long snapper for Saturday night's Wild Card game against the Lions.

The team announced on Tuesday that they have placed Nolan Frese on injured reserve as a result of the ankle injury that he suffered in Week 17. Frese played the entire game, but had a bad snap that went over punter Jon Ryan's head for a safety in the third quarter of the 25-23 victory.

"He couldn't run at all, so he was just clomping around on a totally casted foot to get through the game," Carroll said of Frese.

Seattle signed Tyler Ott to take Frese's place on the roster and take over the snapping duties. Ott played three games for the Bengals earlier this season and saw action in one game for the Giants last year.

It's not the only issue Seattle's special teams have had. Frese has had poor snaps while healthy too. Kicker Steven Hauschka has missed 10 kicks this year -- six extra points and four field goals -- and six of the misses were due to blocked kicks.

"There's just some funky kicks we've made," Carroll said. "(Hauschka) hit four great field goals yesterday and did a great job but there was an extra point that was low.

Also. ... Veteran return man Devin Hester is signing with the Seahawks for the playoffs, Jay Glazer of FOXSports first reported Tuesday night.

The Ravens cut Hester, 34, in December. He handled their return duties for 12 games this season.

The Seahawks needed a returner after losing speedy second-year man Tyler Lockett to a Week 16 broken leg. They open the playoffs Saturday night vs. the Lions.

Hester is a four-time Pro Bowler and a three time first-team All-Pro. He played eight seasons for the Bears and the last two for the Falcons before signing with the Ravens in September.


DEPTH CHART
QBs: C.J. Stroud, Case Keenum, Davis Mills
RBs: Joe Mixon, Dameon Pierce, Mike Boone, Dare Ogunbowale
WRs: Nico Collins, Stefon Diggs, Noah Brown, Robert Woods, John Metchie III, Xavier Hutchinson, Tank Dell
TEs: Dalton Schultz, Brevin Jordan

Indianapolis Colts

 Compiled by FootballDiehards Editor Bob Harris | Updated 4 January 2017

The Seattle Seahawks enter the postseason as the No. 3 seed in the NFC and will host the Detroit Lions on Saturday at CenturyLink Field.

The passing attack has been inconsistent for much of the season, but if the Seahawks are going to go on a playoff run, ESPN.com's Sheil Kapadia believes this is where they'll have to make up for deficiencies elsewhere.

Russell Wilson suffered three injuries in the first six games of the season and has never looked completely healthy. He deserves credit for the work he put in to stay on the field (Wilson didn't miss a start) and still completed 64.7 percent of his passes while averaging 7.73 yards per attempt with 21 touchdowns and 11 interceptions.

His favorite targets -- Doug Baldwin (94 catches, 1,128 yards, seven touchdowns) and Jimmy Graham (65 catches, 923 yards, six touchdowns) -- both had great seasons and will present matchup problems against a Lions defense that went into Week 17 allowing opposing quarterbacks to complete a league-high 72.9 percent of their passes.

Pass protection is always a question with the Seahawks, but the Lions produced pressure on just 19.8 percent of their opponents' dropbacks, the worst percentage in the NFL. Detroit's sack percentage (4.6) ranked 29th. The Lions had one sack and four hits on Aaron Rodgers on Sunday, but the Green Bay Packers' offensive line is superior to the Seahawks' line.

The good news?

ESPN.com's Michael Rothstein pointed out the Lions set an NFL record this season by allowing opposing quarterbacks to complete 72.7 percent of passes against them. It broke a record established by another team coached by Jim Caldwell -- the 2011 Indianapolis Colts. They allowed opposing quarterbacks to complete 71.2 percent of passes against them.

The Lions were a full percentage point worse.

Now, the Lions have to face one of the game's more accurate quarterbacks in the playoffs in Wilson, who has completed at least 63 percent of his passes in every season of his career -- including the above-mentioned 64.7 percent this season.

Unlike many other quarterbacks Detroit has faced, the rushing potential for Wilson is something that makes him even more dangerous.

"You just have to get them down enough times," Caldwell said. "We just didn't get him down enough times. You're not going to completely stop Russell Wilson. No one has at this point throughout his career.

"So you've just got to get him down enough times to be able to stall the drives and be able to answer with points. That's the real key."

And the last time the Lions faced Wilson, he was insanely accurate against Detroit. He completed 20 of 26 passes (76.9 percent) against the Lions last season in a nationally televised Monday night game in Week 4. He also took more shots downfield in that game than others, averaging 11.04 yards per attempt and 7.46 yards per dropback against Detroit.

The way the Lions have played against opposing quarterbacks this season, though, that would be close to average.

As for the run?

According to ESPN Stats and Information, from 2012 to 2015, the Seahawks had nine games in which they failed to rush for 100 yards. That happened in 10 of 16 games during the 2016 regular season.

Against a shaky 49ers run defense, the Seahawks totaled just 87 yards on 25 carries. Thomas Rawls has battled through injuries and struggled to build from his rookie season, finishing with 349 rushing yards on 109 attempts (3.20 yards per carry).

Wilson's 259 rushing yards are the lowest total of his career. The run-blocking has been an issue throughout the season.

The Lions rank 22nd against the run, according to Football Outsiders. The Packers ran for 153 yards against them and averaged 4.9 yards per carry.

The Seahawks want to find balance whenever they can, but at this point, they know the run game is not the strength it has been in previous years.

Meanwhile, head coach Pete Carroll said on Monday that rookie running back C.J. Prosise, who has missed the last six games with a fractured scapula is "getting close now," though it sounds like a return this week is not in the cards.

But if the Seahawks advance to face the Atlanta Falcons next week, Prosise will have a chance of being available.

"A very encouraging report today," Carroll said on Tuesday. "He had a CT scan that was really positive. He's working hard and running hard. We're going to see what happens. If we have the good fortune of winning this week, we'll take a look at next week. He's going to run really hard this week with the thought that he's going to practice next week. If we can give him that opportunity it would be great."

The Seahawks will have a new long snapper for Saturday night's Wild Card game against the Lions.

The team announced on Tuesday that they have placed Nolan Frese on injured reserve as a result of the ankle injury that he suffered in Week 17. Frese played the entire game, but had a bad snap that went over punter Jon Ryan's head for a safety in the third quarter of the 25-23 victory.

"He couldn't run at all, so he was just clomping around on a totally casted foot to get through the game," Carroll said of Frese.

Seattle signed Tyler Ott to take Frese's place on the roster and take over the snapping duties. Ott played three games for the Bengals earlier this season and saw action in one game for the Giants last year.

It's not the only issue Seattle's special teams have had. Frese has had poor snaps while healthy too. Kicker Steven Hauschka has missed 10 kicks this year -- six extra points and four field goals -- and six of the misses were due to blocked kicks.

"There's just some funky kicks we've made," Carroll said. "(Hauschka) hit four great field goals yesterday and did a great job but there was an extra point that was low.

Also. ... Veteran return man Devin Hester is signing with the Seahawks for the playoffs, Jay Glazer of FOXSports first reported Tuesday night.

The Ravens cut Hester, 34, in December. He handled their return duties for 12 games this season.

The Seahawks needed a returner after losing speedy second-year man Tyler Lockett to a Week 16 broken leg. They open the playoffs Saturday night vs. the Lions.

Hester is a four-time Pro Bowler and a three time first-team All-Pro. He played eight seasons for the Bears and the last two for the Falcons before signing with the Ravens in September.


DEPTH CHART
QBs: Joe Flacco, Sam Ehlinger, Kellen Mond, Anthony Richardson
RBs: Jonathan Taylor, Trey Sermon, Evan Hull
WRs: Michael Pittman Jr., Josh Downs, Alec Pierce, Isaiah McKenzie, D.J. Montgomery
TEs: Mo Alie-Cox, Kylen Granson, Will Mallory, Andrew Ogletree, Jelani Woods

Jacksonville Jaguars

 Compiled by FootballDiehards Editor Bob Harris | Updated 4 January 2017

The Seattle Seahawks enter the postseason as the No. 3 seed in the NFC and will host the Detroit Lions on Saturday at CenturyLink Field.

The passing attack has been inconsistent for much of the season, but if the Seahawks are going to go on a playoff run, ESPN.com's Sheil Kapadia believes this is where they'll have to make up for deficiencies elsewhere.

Russell Wilson suffered three injuries in the first six games of the season and has never looked completely healthy. He deserves credit for the work he put in to stay on the field (Wilson didn't miss a start) and still completed 64.7 percent of his passes while averaging 7.73 yards per attempt with 21 touchdowns and 11 interceptions.

His favorite targets -- Doug Baldwin (94 catches, 1,128 yards, seven touchdowns) and Jimmy Graham (65 catches, 923 yards, six touchdowns) -- both had great seasons and will present matchup problems against a Lions defense that went into Week 17 allowing opposing quarterbacks to complete a league-high 72.9 percent of their passes.

Pass protection is always a question with the Seahawks, but the Lions produced pressure on just 19.8 percent of their opponents' dropbacks, the worst percentage in the NFL. Detroit's sack percentage (4.6) ranked 29th. The Lions had one sack and four hits on Aaron Rodgers on Sunday, but the Green Bay Packers' offensive line is superior to the Seahawks' line.

The good news?

ESPN.com's Michael Rothstein pointed out the Lions set an NFL record this season by allowing opposing quarterbacks to complete 72.7 percent of passes against them. It broke a record established by another team coached by Jim Caldwell -- the 2011 Indianapolis Colts. They allowed opposing quarterbacks to complete 71.2 percent of passes against them.

The Lions were a full percentage point worse.

Now, the Lions have to face one of the game's more accurate quarterbacks in the playoffs in Wilson, who has completed at least 63 percent of his passes in every season of his career -- including the above-mentioned 64.7 percent this season.

Unlike many other quarterbacks Detroit has faced, the rushing potential for Wilson is something that makes him even more dangerous.

"You just have to get them down enough times," Caldwell said. "We just didn't get him down enough times. You're not going to completely stop Russell Wilson. No one has at this point throughout his career.

"So you've just got to get him down enough times to be able to stall the drives and be able to answer with points. That's the real key."

And the last time the Lions faced Wilson, he was insanely accurate against Detroit. He completed 20 of 26 passes (76.9 percent) against the Lions last season in a nationally televised Monday night game in Week 4. He also took more shots downfield in that game than others, averaging 11.04 yards per attempt and 7.46 yards per dropback against Detroit.

The way the Lions have played against opposing quarterbacks this season, though, that would be close to average.

As for the run?

According to ESPN Stats and Information, from 2012 to 2015, the Seahawks had nine games in which they failed to rush for 100 yards. That happened in 10 of 16 games during the 2016 regular season.

Against a shaky 49ers run defense, the Seahawks totaled just 87 yards on 25 carries. Thomas Rawls has battled through injuries and struggled to build from his rookie season, finishing with 349 rushing yards on 109 attempts (3.20 yards per carry).

Wilson's 259 rushing yards are the lowest total of his career. The run-blocking has been an issue throughout the season.

The Lions rank 22nd against the run, according to Football Outsiders. The Packers ran for 153 yards against them and averaged 4.9 yards per carry.

The Seahawks want to find balance whenever they can, but at this point, they know the run game is not the strength it has been in previous years.

Meanwhile, head coach Pete Carroll said on Monday that rookie running back C.J. Prosise, who has missed the last six games with a fractured scapula is "getting close now," though it sounds like a return this week is not in the cards.

But if the Seahawks advance to face the Atlanta Falcons next week, Prosise will have a chance of being available.

"A very encouraging report today," Carroll said on Tuesday. "He had a CT scan that was really positive. He's working hard and running hard. We're going to see what happens. If we have the good fortune of winning this week, we'll take a look at next week. He's going to run really hard this week with the thought that he's going to practice next week. If we can give him that opportunity it would be great."

The Seahawks will have a new long snapper for Saturday night's Wild Card game against the Lions.

The team announced on Tuesday that they have placed Nolan Frese on injured reserve as a result of the ankle injury that he suffered in Week 17. Frese played the entire game, but had a bad snap that went over punter Jon Ryan's head for a safety in the third quarter of the 25-23 victory.

"He couldn't run at all, so he was just clomping around on a totally casted foot to get through the game," Carroll said of Frese.

Seattle signed Tyler Ott to take Frese's place on the roster and take over the snapping duties. Ott played three games for the Bengals earlier this season and saw action in one game for the Giants last year.

It's not the only issue Seattle's special teams have had. Frese has had poor snaps while healthy too. Kicker Steven Hauschka has missed 10 kicks this year -- six extra points and four field goals -- and six of the misses were due to blocked kicks.

"There's just some funky kicks we've made," Carroll said. "(Hauschka) hit four great field goals yesterday and did a great job but there was an extra point that was low.

Also. ... Veteran return man Devin Hester is signing with the Seahawks for the playoffs, Jay Glazer of FOXSports first reported Tuesday night.

The Ravens cut Hester, 34, in December. He handled their return duties for 12 games this season.

The Seahawks needed a returner after losing speedy second-year man Tyler Lockett to a Week 16 broken leg. They open the playoffs Saturday night vs. the Lions.

Hester is a four-time Pro Bowler and a three time first-team All-Pro. He played eight seasons for the Bears and the last two for the Falcons before signing with the Ravens in September.


DEPTH CHART
QBs: Trevor Lawrence, Mac Jones, C.J. Beathard, Nathan Rourke
RBs: Travis Etienne Jr., Tank Bigsby, D'Ernest Johnson
WRs: Gabe Davis, Parker Washington, Tim Jones, Jamal Agnew, Christian Kirk
TEs: Evan Engram, Brenton Strange, Luke Farrell, Elijah Cooks

Kansas City Chiefs

 Compiled by FootballDiehards Editor Bob Harris | Updated 4 January 2017

The Seattle Seahawks enter the postseason as the No. 3 seed in the NFC and will host the Detroit Lions on Saturday at CenturyLink Field.

The passing attack has been inconsistent for much of the season, but if the Seahawks are going to go on a playoff run, ESPN.com's Sheil Kapadia believes this is where they'll have to make up for deficiencies elsewhere.

Russell Wilson suffered three injuries in the first six games of the season and has never looked completely healthy. He deserves credit for the work he put in to stay on the field (Wilson didn't miss a start) and still completed 64.7 percent of his passes while averaging 7.73 yards per attempt with 21 touchdowns and 11 interceptions.

His favorite targets -- Doug Baldwin (94 catches, 1,128 yards, seven touchdowns) and Jimmy Graham (65 catches, 923 yards, six touchdowns) -- both had great seasons and will present matchup problems against a Lions defense that went into Week 17 allowing opposing quarterbacks to complete a league-high 72.9 percent of their passes.

Pass protection is always a question with the Seahawks, but the Lions produced pressure on just 19.8 percent of their opponents' dropbacks, the worst percentage in the NFL. Detroit's sack percentage (4.6) ranked 29th. The Lions had one sack and four hits on Aaron Rodgers on Sunday, but the Green Bay Packers' offensive line is superior to the Seahawks' line.

The good news?

ESPN.com's Michael Rothstein pointed out the Lions set an NFL record this season by allowing opposing quarterbacks to complete 72.7 percent of passes against them. It broke a record established by another team coached by Jim Caldwell -- the 2011 Indianapolis Colts. They allowed opposing quarterbacks to complete 71.2 percent of passes against them.

The Lions were a full percentage point worse.

Now, the Lions have to face one of the game's more accurate quarterbacks in the playoffs in Wilson, who has completed at least 63 percent of his passes in every season of his career -- including the above-mentioned 64.7 percent this season.

Unlike many other quarterbacks Detroit has faced, the rushing potential for Wilson is something that makes him even more dangerous.

"You just have to get them down enough times," Caldwell said. "We just didn't get him down enough times. You're not going to completely stop Russell Wilson. No one has at this point throughout his career.

"So you've just got to get him down enough times to be able to stall the drives and be able to answer with points. That's the real key."

And the last time the Lions faced Wilson, he was insanely accurate against Detroit. He completed 20 of 26 passes (76.9 percent) against the Lions last season in a nationally televised Monday night game in Week 4. He also took more shots downfield in that game than others, averaging 11.04 yards per attempt and 7.46 yards per dropback against Detroit.

The way the Lions have played against opposing quarterbacks this season, though, that would be close to average.

As for the run?

According to ESPN Stats and Information, from 2012 to 2015, the Seahawks had nine games in which they failed to rush for 100 yards. That happened in 10 of 16 games during the 2016 regular season.

Against a shaky 49ers run defense, the Seahawks totaled just 87 yards on 25 carries. Thomas Rawls has battled through injuries and struggled to build from his rookie season, finishing with 349 rushing yards on 109 attempts (3.20 yards per carry).

Wilson's 259 rushing yards are the lowest total of his career. The run-blocking has been an issue throughout the season.

The Lions rank 22nd against the run, according to Football Outsiders. The Packers ran for 153 yards against them and averaged 4.9 yards per carry.

The Seahawks want to find balance whenever they can, but at this point, they know the run game is not the strength it has been in previous years.

Meanwhile, head coach Pete Carroll said on Monday that rookie running back C.J. Prosise, who has missed the last six games with a fractured scapula is "getting close now," though it sounds like a return this week is not in the cards.

But if the Seahawks advance to face the Atlanta Falcons next week, Prosise will have a chance of being available.

"A very encouraging report today," Carroll said on Tuesday. "He had a CT scan that was really positive. He's working hard and running hard. We're going to see what happens. If we have the good fortune of winning this week, we'll take a look at next week. He's going to run really hard this week with the thought that he's going to practice next week. If we can give him that opportunity it would be great."

The Seahawks will have a new long snapper for Saturday night's Wild Card game against the Lions.

The team announced on Tuesday that they have placed Nolan Frese on injured reserve as a result of the ankle injury that he suffered in Week 17. Frese played the entire game, but had a bad snap that went over punter Jon Ryan's head for a safety in the third quarter of the 25-23 victory.

"He couldn't run at all, so he was just clomping around on a totally casted foot to get through the game," Carroll said of Frese.

Seattle signed Tyler Ott to take Frese's place on the roster and take over the snapping duties. Ott played three games for the Bengals earlier this season and saw action in one game for the Giants last year.

It's not the only issue Seattle's special teams have had. Frese has had poor snaps while healthy too. Kicker Steven Hauschka has missed 10 kicks this year -- six extra points and four field goals -- and six of the misses were due to blocked kicks.

"There's just some funky kicks we've made," Carroll said. "(Hauschka) hit four great field goals yesterday and did a great job but there was an extra point that was low.

Also. ... Veteran return man Devin Hester is signing with the Seahawks for the playoffs, Jay Glazer of FOXSports first reported Tuesday night.

The Ravens cut Hester, 34, in December. He handled their return duties for 12 games this season.

The Seahawks needed a returner after losing speedy second-year man Tyler Lockett to a Week 16 broken leg. They open the playoffs Saturday night vs. the Lions.

Hester is a four-time Pro Bowler and a three time first-team All-Pro. He played eight seasons for the Bears and the last two for the Falcons before signing with the Ravens in September.


DEPTH CHART
QBs: Patrick Mahomes, Blaine Gabbert, Carson Wentz
RBs: Isiah Pacheco, Clyde Edwards-Helaire
WRs: Marquise Brown, Rashee Rice, Marquez Valdes-Scantling, Justin Watson, Kadarius Toney, Richie James, Justyn Ross, Skyy Moore, Mecole Hardman
TEs: Travis Kelce, Noah Gray, Blake Bell, Jody Fortson

Los Angeles Rams

 Compiled by FootballDiehards Editor Bob Harris | Updated 4 January 2017

The Seattle Seahawks enter the postseason as the No. 3 seed in the NFC and will host the Detroit Lions on Saturday at CenturyLink Field.

The passing attack has been inconsistent for much of the season, but if the Seahawks are going to go on a playoff run, ESPN.com's Sheil Kapadia believes this is where they'll have to make up for deficiencies elsewhere.

Russell Wilson suffered three injuries in the first six games of the season and has never looked completely healthy. He deserves credit for the work he put in to stay on the field (Wilson didn't miss a start) and still completed 64.7 percent of his passes while averaging 7.73 yards per attempt with 21 touchdowns and 11 interceptions.

His favorite targets -- Doug Baldwin (94 catches, 1,128 yards, seven touchdowns) and Jimmy Graham (65 catches, 923 yards, six touchdowns) -- both had great seasons and will present matchup problems against a Lions defense that went into Week 17 allowing opposing quarterbacks to complete a league-high 72.9 percent of their passes.

Pass protection is always a question with the Seahawks, but the Lions produced pressure on just 19.8 percent of their opponents' dropbacks, the worst percentage in the NFL. Detroit's sack percentage (4.6) ranked 29th. The Lions had one sack and four hits on Aaron Rodgers on Sunday, but the Green Bay Packers' offensive line is superior to the Seahawks' line.

The good news?

ESPN.com's Michael Rothstein pointed out the Lions set an NFL record this season by allowing opposing quarterbacks to complete 72.7 percent of passes against them. It broke a record established by another team coached by Jim Caldwell -- the 2011 Indianapolis Colts. They allowed opposing quarterbacks to complete 71.2 percent of passes against them.

The Lions were a full percentage point worse.

Now, the Lions have to face one of the game's more accurate quarterbacks in the playoffs in Wilson, who has completed at least 63 percent of his passes in every season of his career -- including the above-mentioned 64.7 percent this season.

Unlike many other quarterbacks Detroit has faced, the rushing potential for Wilson is something that makes him even more dangerous.

"You just have to get them down enough times," Caldwell said. "We just didn't get him down enough times. You're not going to completely stop Russell Wilson. No one has at this point throughout his career.

"So you've just got to get him down enough times to be able to stall the drives and be able to answer with points. That's the real key."

And the last time the Lions faced Wilson, he was insanely accurate against Detroit. He completed 20 of 26 passes (76.9 percent) against the Lions last season in a nationally televised Monday night game in Week 4. He also took more shots downfield in that game than others, averaging 11.04 yards per attempt and 7.46 yards per dropback against Detroit.

The way the Lions have played against opposing quarterbacks this season, though, that would be close to average.

As for the run?

According to ESPN Stats and Information, from 2012 to 2015, the Seahawks had nine games in which they failed to rush for 100 yards. That happened in 10 of 16 games during the 2016 regular season.

Against a shaky 49ers run defense, the Seahawks totaled just 87 yards on 25 carries. Thomas Rawls has battled through injuries and struggled to build from his rookie season, finishing with 349 rushing yards on 109 attempts (3.20 yards per carry).

Wilson's 259 rushing yards are the lowest total of his career. The run-blocking has been an issue throughout the season.

The Lions rank 22nd against the run, according to Football Outsiders. The Packers ran for 153 yards against them and averaged 4.9 yards per carry.

The Seahawks want to find balance whenever they can, but at this point, they know the run game is not the strength it has been in previous years.

Meanwhile, head coach Pete Carroll said on Monday that rookie running back C.J. Prosise, who has missed the last six games with a fractured scapula is "getting close now," though it sounds like a return this week is not in the cards.

But if the Seahawks advance to face the Atlanta Falcons next week, Prosise will have a chance of being available.

"A very encouraging report today," Carroll said on Tuesday. "He had a CT scan that was really positive. He's working hard and running hard. We're going to see what happens. If we have the good fortune of winning this week, we'll take a look at next week. He's going to run really hard this week with the thought that he's going to practice next week. If we can give him that opportunity it would be great."

The Seahawks will have a new long snapper for Saturday night's Wild Card game against the Lions.

The team announced on Tuesday that they have placed Nolan Frese on injured reserve as a result of the ankle injury that he suffered in Week 17. Frese played the entire game, but had a bad snap that went over punter Jon Ryan's head for a safety in the third quarter of the 25-23 victory.

"He couldn't run at all, so he was just clomping around on a totally casted foot to get through the game," Carroll said of Frese.

Seattle signed Tyler Ott to take Frese's place on the roster and take over the snapping duties. Ott played three games for the Bengals earlier this season and saw action in one game for the Giants last year.

It's not the only issue Seattle's special teams have had. Frese has had poor snaps while healthy too. Kicker Steven Hauschka has missed 10 kicks this year -- six extra points and four field goals -- and six of the misses were due to blocked kicks.

"There's just some funky kicks we've made," Carroll said. "(Hauschka) hit four great field goals yesterday and did a great job but there was an extra point that was low.

Also. ... Veteran return man Devin Hester is signing with the Seahawks for the playoffs, Jay Glazer of FOXSports first reported Tuesday night.

The Ravens cut Hester, 34, in December. He handled their return duties for 12 games this season.

The Seahawks needed a returner after losing speedy second-year man Tyler Lockett to a Week 16 broken leg. They open the playoffs Saturday night vs. the Lions.

Hester is a four-time Pro Bowler and a three time first-team All-Pro. He played eight seasons for the Bears and the last two for the Falcons before signing with the Ravens in September.


DEPTH CHART
QBs: Matthew Stafford, Jimmy Garoppolo, Stetson Bennett
RBs: Kyren Williams, Royce Freeman, Zach Evans, Ronnie Rivers
WRs: Cooper Kupp, Puka Nacua, Tutu Atwell, Ben Skowronek, Demarcus Robinson
TEs: Tyler Higbee, Brycen Hopkins, Colby Parkinson, Hunter Long, Davis Allen

Miami Dolphins

 Compiled by FootballDiehards Editor Bob Harris | Updated 4 January 2017

The Seattle Seahawks enter the postseason as the No. 3 seed in the NFC and will host the Detroit Lions on Saturday at CenturyLink Field.

The passing attack has been inconsistent for much of the season, but if the Seahawks are going to go on a playoff run, ESPN.com's Sheil Kapadia believes this is where they'll have to make up for deficiencies elsewhere.

Russell Wilson suffered three injuries in the first six games of the season and has never looked completely healthy. He deserves credit for the work he put in to stay on the field (Wilson didn't miss a start) and still completed 64.7 percent of his passes while averaging 7.73 yards per attempt with 21 touchdowns and 11 interceptions.

His favorite targets -- Doug Baldwin (94 catches, 1,128 yards, seven touchdowns) and Jimmy Graham (65 catches, 923 yards, six touchdowns) -- both had great seasons and will present matchup problems against a Lions defense that went into Week 17 allowing opposing quarterbacks to complete a league-high 72.9 percent of their passes.

Pass protection is always a question with the Seahawks, but the Lions produced pressure on just 19.8 percent of their opponents' dropbacks, the worst percentage in the NFL. Detroit's sack percentage (4.6) ranked 29th. The Lions had one sack and four hits on Aaron Rodgers on Sunday, but the Green Bay Packers' offensive line is superior to the Seahawks' line.

The good news?

ESPN.com's Michael Rothstein pointed out the Lions set an NFL record this season by allowing opposing quarterbacks to complete 72.7 percent of passes against them. It broke a record established by another team coached by Jim Caldwell -- the 2011 Indianapolis Colts. They allowed opposing quarterbacks to complete 71.2 percent of passes against them.

The Lions were a full percentage point worse.

Now, the Lions have to face one of the game's more accurate quarterbacks in the playoffs in Wilson, who has completed at least 63 percent of his passes in every season of his career -- including the above-mentioned 64.7 percent this season.

Unlike many other quarterbacks Detroit has faced, the rushing potential for Wilson is something that makes him even more dangerous.

"You just have to get them down enough times," Caldwell said. "We just didn't get him down enough times. You're not going to completely stop Russell Wilson. No one has at this point throughout his career.

"So you've just got to get him down enough times to be able to stall the drives and be able to answer with points. That's the real key."

And the last time the Lions faced Wilson, he was insanely accurate against Detroit. He completed 20 of 26 passes (76.9 percent) against the Lions last season in a nationally televised Monday night game in Week 4. He also took more shots downfield in that game than others, averaging 11.04 yards per attempt and 7.46 yards per dropback against Detroit.

The way the Lions have played against opposing quarterbacks this season, though, that would be close to average.

As for the run?

According to ESPN Stats and Information, from 2012 to 2015, the Seahawks had nine games in which they failed to rush for 100 yards. That happened in 10 of 16 games during the 2016 regular season.

Against a shaky 49ers run defense, the Seahawks totaled just 87 yards on 25 carries. Thomas Rawls has battled through injuries and struggled to build from his rookie season, finishing with 349 rushing yards on 109 attempts (3.20 yards per carry).

Wilson's 259 rushing yards are the lowest total of his career. The run-blocking has been an issue throughout the season.

The Lions rank 22nd against the run, according to Football Outsiders. The Packers ran for 153 yards against them and averaged 4.9 yards per carry.

The Seahawks want to find balance whenever they can, but at this point, they know the run game is not the strength it has been in previous years.

Meanwhile, head coach Pete Carroll said on Monday that rookie running back C.J. Prosise, who has missed the last six games with a fractured scapula is "getting close now," though it sounds like a return this week is not in the cards.

But if the Seahawks advance to face the Atlanta Falcons next week, Prosise will have a chance of being available.

"A very encouraging report today," Carroll said on Tuesday. "He had a CT scan that was really positive. He's working hard and running hard. We're going to see what happens. If we have the good fortune of winning this week, we'll take a look at next week. He's going to run really hard this week with the thought that he's going to practice next week. If we can give him that opportunity it would be great."

The Seahawks will have a new long snapper for Saturday night's Wild Card game against the Lions.

The team announced on Tuesday that they have placed Nolan Frese on injured reserve as a result of the ankle injury that he suffered in Week 17. Frese played the entire game, but had a bad snap that went over punter Jon Ryan's head for a safety in the third quarter of the 25-23 victory.

"He couldn't run at all, so he was just clomping around on a totally casted foot to get through the game," Carroll said of Frese.

Seattle signed Tyler Ott to take Frese's place on the roster and take over the snapping duties. Ott played three games for the Bengals earlier this season and saw action in one game for the Giants last year.

It's not the only issue Seattle's special teams have had. Frese has had poor snaps while healthy too. Kicker Steven Hauschka has missed 10 kicks this year -- six extra points and four field goals -- and six of the misses were due to blocked kicks.

"There's just some funky kicks we've made," Carroll said. "(Hauschka) hit four great field goals yesterday and did a great job but there was an extra point that was low.

Also. ... Veteran return man Devin Hester is signing with the Seahawks for the playoffs, Jay Glazer of FOXSports first reported Tuesday night.

The Ravens cut Hester, 34, in December. He handled their return duties for 12 games this season.

The Seahawks needed a returner after losing speedy second-year man Tyler Lockett to a Week 16 broken leg. They open the playoffs Saturday night vs. the Lions.

Hester is a four-time Pro Bowler and a three time first-team All-Pro. He played eight seasons for the Bears and the last two for the Falcons before signing with the Ravens in September.


DEPTH CHART
QBs: Tua Tagovailoa, Mike White, Skylar Thompson
RBs: Raheem Mostert, De'Von Achane, Jeff Wilson, Salvon Ahmed, Christopher Brooks
WRs: Tyreek Hill, Jaylen Waddle, Odell Beckham, Braxton Berrios, Cedrick Wilson, Chase Claypool, River Cracraft
TEs: Durham Smythe, Jonnu Smith, Julian Hill, Tyler Kroft

Minnesota Vikings

 Compiled by FootballDiehards Editor Bob Harris | Updated 4 January 2017

The Seattle Seahawks enter the postseason as the No. 3 seed in the NFC and will host the Detroit Lions on Saturday at CenturyLink Field.

The passing attack has been inconsistent for much of the season, but if the Seahawks are going to go on a playoff run, ESPN.com's Sheil Kapadia believes this is where they'll have to make up for deficiencies elsewhere.

Russell Wilson suffered three injuries in the first six games of the season and has never looked completely healthy. He deserves credit for the work he put in to stay on the field (Wilson didn't miss a start) and still completed 64.7 percent of his passes while averaging 7.73 yards per attempt with 21 touchdowns and 11 interceptions.

His favorite targets -- Doug Baldwin (94 catches, 1,128 yards, seven touchdowns) and Jimmy Graham (65 catches, 923 yards, six touchdowns) -- both had great seasons and will present matchup problems against a Lions defense that went into Week 17 allowing opposing quarterbacks to complete a league-high 72.9 percent of their passes.

Pass protection is always a question with the Seahawks, but the Lions produced pressure on just 19.8 percent of their opponents' dropbacks, the worst percentage in the NFL. Detroit's sack percentage (4.6) ranked 29th. The Lions had one sack and four hits on Aaron Rodgers on Sunday, but the Green Bay Packers' offensive line is superior to the Seahawks' line.

The good news?

ESPN.com's Michael Rothstein pointed out the Lions set an NFL record this season by allowing opposing quarterbacks to complete 72.7 percent of passes against them. It broke a record established by another team coached by Jim Caldwell -- the 2011 Indianapolis Colts. They allowed opposing quarterbacks to complete 71.2 percent of passes against them.

The Lions were a full percentage point worse.

Now, the Lions have to face one of the game's more accurate quarterbacks in the playoffs in Wilson, who has completed at least 63 percent of his passes in every season of his career -- including the above-mentioned 64.7 percent this season.

Unlike many other quarterbacks Detroit has faced, the rushing potential for Wilson is something that makes him even more dangerous.

"You just have to get them down enough times," Caldwell said. "We just didn't get him down enough times. You're not going to completely stop Russell Wilson. No one has at this point throughout his career.

"So you've just got to get him down enough times to be able to stall the drives and be able to answer with points. That's the real key."

And the last time the Lions faced Wilson, he was insanely accurate against Detroit. He completed 20 of 26 passes (76.9 percent) against the Lions last season in a nationally televised Monday night game in Week 4. He also took more shots downfield in that game than others, averaging 11.04 yards per attempt and 7.46 yards per dropback against Detroit.

The way the Lions have played against opposing quarterbacks this season, though, that would be close to average.

As for the run?

According to ESPN Stats and Information, from 2012 to 2015, the Seahawks had nine games in which they failed to rush for 100 yards. That happened in 10 of 16 games during the 2016 regular season.

Against a shaky 49ers run defense, the Seahawks totaled just 87 yards on 25 carries. Thomas Rawls has battled through injuries and struggled to build from his rookie season, finishing with 349 rushing yards on 109 attempts (3.20 yards per carry).

Wilson's 259 rushing yards are the lowest total of his career. The run-blocking has been an issue throughout the season.

The Lions rank 22nd against the run, according to Football Outsiders. The Packers ran for 153 yards against them and averaged 4.9 yards per carry.

The Seahawks want to find balance whenever they can, but at this point, they know the run game is not the strength it has been in previous years.

Meanwhile, head coach Pete Carroll said on Monday that rookie running back C.J. Prosise, who has missed the last six games with a fractured scapula is "getting close now," though it sounds like a return this week is not in the cards.

But if the Seahawks advance to face the Atlanta Falcons next week, Prosise will have a chance of being available.

"A very encouraging report today," Carroll said on Tuesday. "He had a CT scan that was really positive. He's working hard and running hard. We're going to see what happens. If we have the good fortune of winning this week, we'll take a look at next week. He's going to run really hard this week with the thought that he's going to practice next week. If we can give him that opportunity it would be great."

The Seahawks will have a new long snapper for Saturday night's Wild Card game against the Lions.

The team announced on Tuesday that they have placed Nolan Frese on injured reserve as a result of the ankle injury that he suffered in Week 17. Frese played the entire game, but had a bad snap that went over punter Jon Ryan's head for a safety in the third quarter of the 25-23 victory.

"He couldn't run at all, so he was just clomping around on a totally casted foot to get through the game," Carroll said of Frese.

Seattle signed Tyler Ott to take Frese's place on the roster and take over the snapping duties. Ott played three games for the Bengals earlier this season and saw action in one game for the Giants last year.

It's not the only issue Seattle's special teams have had. Frese has had poor snaps while healthy too. Kicker Steven Hauschka has missed 10 kicks this year -- six extra points and four field goals -- and six of the misses were due to blocked kicks.

"There's just some funky kicks we've made," Carroll said. "(Hauschka) hit four great field goals yesterday and did a great job but there was an extra point that was low.

Also. ... Veteran return man Devin Hester is signing with the Seahawks for the playoffs, Jay Glazer of FOXSports first reported Tuesday night.

The Ravens cut Hester, 34, in December. He handled their return duties for 12 games this season.

The Seahawks needed a returner after losing speedy second-year man Tyler Lockett to a Week 16 broken leg. They open the playoffs Saturday night vs. the Lions.

Hester is a four-time Pro Bowler and a three time first-team All-Pro. He played eight seasons for the Bears and the last two for the Falcons before signing with the Ravens in September.


DEPTH CHART
QBs: Nick Mullens, Jaren Hall, Sam Darnold
RBs: Aaron Jones, Ty Chandler, C.J. Ham, Kene Nwangwu, Cam Akers
WRs: Justin Jefferson, Jordan Addison, K.J. Osborn, Brandon Powell, Jalen Nailor
TEs: Josh Oliver, Johnny Mundt, Nick Muse, T.J. Hockenson

New England Patriots

 Compiled by FootballDiehards Editor Bob Harris | Updated 4 January 2017

The Seattle Seahawks enter the postseason as the No. 3 seed in the NFC and will host the Detroit Lions on Saturday at CenturyLink Field.

The passing attack has been inconsistent for much of the season, but if the Seahawks are going to go on a playoff run, ESPN.com's Sheil Kapadia believes this is where they'll have to make up for deficiencies elsewhere.

Russell Wilson suffered three injuries in the first six games of the season and has never looked completely healthy. He deserves credit for the work he put in to stay on the field (Wilson didn't miss a start) and still completed 64.7 percent of his passes while averaging 7.73 yards per attempt with 21 touchdowns and 11 interceptions.

His favorite targets -- Doug Baldwin (94 catches, 1,128 yards, seven touchdowns) and Jimmy Graham (65 catches, 923 yards, six touchdowns) -- both had great seasons and will present matchup problems against a Lions defense that went into Week 17 allowing opposing quarterbacks to complete a league-high 72.9 percent of their passes.

Pass protection is always a question with the Seahawks, but the Lions produced pressure on just 19.8 percent of their opponents' dropbacks, the worst percentage in the NFL. Detroit's sack percentage (4.6) ranked 29th. The Lions had one sack and four hits on Aaron Rodgers on Sunday, but the Green Bay Packers' offensive line is superior to the Seahawks' line.

The good news?

ESPN.com's Michael Rothstein pointed out the Lions set an NFL record this season by allowing opposing quarterbacks to complete 72.7 percent of passes against them. It broke a record established by another team coached by Jim Caldwell -- the 2011 Indianapolis Colts. They allowed opposing quarterbacks to complete 71.2 percent of passes against them.

The Lions were a full percentage point worse.

Now, the Lions have to face one of the game's more accurate quarterbacks in the playoffs in Wilson, who has completed at least 63 percent of his passes in every season of his career -- including the above-mentioned 64.7 percent this season.

Unlike many other quarterbacks Detroit has faced, the rushing potential for Wilson is something that makes him even more dangerous.

"You just have to get them down enough times," Caldwell said. "We just didn't get him down enough times. You're not going to completely stop Russell Wilson. No one has at this point throughout his career.

"So you've just got to get him down enough times to be able to stall the drives and be able to answer with points. That's the real key."

And the last time the Lions faced Wilson, he was insanely accurate against Detroit. He completed 20 of 26 passes (76.9 percent) against the Lions last season in a nationally televised Monday night game in Week 4. He also took more shots downfield in that game than others, averaging 11.04 yards per attempt and 7.46 yards per dropback against Detroit.

The way the Lions have played against opposing quarterbacks this season, though, that would be close to average.

As for the run?

According to ESPN Stats and Information, from 2012 to 2015, the Seahawks had nine games in which they failed to rush for 100 yards. That happened in 10 of 16 games during the 2016 regular season.

Against a shaky 49ers run defense, the Seahawks totaled just 87 yards on 25 carries. Thomas Rawls has battled through injuries and struggled to build from his rookie season, finishing with 349 rushing yards on 109 attempts (3.20 yards per carry).

Wilson's 259 rushing yards are the lowest total of his career. The run-blocking has been an issue throughout the season.

The Lions rank 22nd against the run, according to Football Outsiders. The Packers ran for 153 yards against them and averaged 4.9 yards per carry.

The Seahawks want to find balance whenever they can, but at this point, they know the run game is not the strength it has been in previous years.

Meanwhile, head coach Pete Carroll said on Monday that rookie running back C.J. Prosise, who has missed the last six games with a fractured scapula is "getting close now," though it sounds like a return this week is not in the cards.

But if the Seahawks advance to face the Atlanta Falcons next week, Prosise will have a chance of being available.

"A very encouraging report today," Carroll said on Tuesday. "He had a CT scan that was really positive. He's working hard and running hard. We're going to see what happens. If we have the good fortune of winning this week, we'll take a look at next week. He's going to run really hard this week with the thought that he's going to practice next week. If we can give him that opportunity it would be great."

The Seahawks will have a new long snapper for Saturday night's Wild Card game against the Lions.

The team announced on Tuesday that they have placed Nolan Frese on injured reserve as a result of the ankle injury that he suffered in Week 17. Frese played the entire game, but had a bad snap that went over punter Jon Ryan's head for a safety in the third quarter of the 25-23 victory.

"He couldn't run at all, so he was just clomping around on a totally casted foot to get through the game," Carroll said of Frese.

Seattle signed Tyler Ott to take Frese's place on the roster and take over the snapping duties. Ott played three games for the Bengals earlier this season and saw action in one game for the Giants last year.

It's not the only issue Seattle's special teams have had. Frese has had poor snaps while healthy too. Kicker Steven Hauschka has missed 10 kicks this year -- six extra points and four field goals -- and six of the misses were due to blocked kicks.

"There's just some funky kicks we've made," Carroll said. "(Hauschka) hit four great field goals yesterday and did a great job but there was an extra point that was low.

Also. ... Veteran return man Devin Hester is signing with the Seahawks for the playoffs, Jay Glazer of FOXSports first reported Tuesday night.

The Ravens cut Hester, 34, in December. He handled their return duties for 12 games this season.

The Seahawks needed a returner after losing speedy second-year man Tyler Lockett to a Week 16 broken leg. They open the playoffs Saturday night vs. the Lions.

Hester is a four-time Pro Bowler and a three time first-team All-Pro. He played eight seasons for the Bears and the last two for the Falcons before signing with the Ravens in September.


DEPTH CHART
QBs: Bailey Zappe, Jacoby Brissett
RBs: Rhamondre Stevenson, Antonio Gibson, JaMycal Hasty
WRs: DeVante Parker, Demario Douglas, JuJu Smith-Schuster, Tyquan Thornton, Kayshon Boutte, Matt Slater, Kendrick Bourne
TEs: Hunter Henry, Pharaoh Brown

New Orleans Saints

 Compiled by FootballDiehards Editor Bob Harris | Updated 4 January 2017

The Seattle Seahawks enter the postseason as the No. 3 seed in the NFC and will host the Detroit Lions on Saturday at CenturyLink Field.

The passing attack has been inconsistent for much of the season, but if the Seahawks are going to go on a playoff run, ESPN.com's Sheil Kapadia believes this is where they'll have to make up for deficiencies elsewhere.

Russell Wilson suffered three injuries in the first six games of the season and has never looked completely healthy. He deserves credit for the work he put in to stay on the field (Wilson didn't miss a start) and still completed 64.7 percent of his passes while averaging 7.73 yards per attempt with 21 touchdowns and 11 interceptions.

His favorite targets -- Doug Baldwin (94 catches, 1,128 yards, seven touchdowns) and Jimmy Graham (65 catches, 923 yards, six touchdowns) -- both had great seasons and will present matchup problems against a Lions defense that went into Week 17 allowing opposing quarterbacks to complete a league-high 72.9 percent of their passes.

Pass protection is always a question with the Seahawks, but the Lions produced pressure on just 19.8 percent of their opponents' dropbacks, the worst percentage in the NFL. Detroit's sack percentage (4.6) ranked 29th. The Lions had one sack and four hits on Aaron Rodgers on Sunday, but the Green Bay Packers' offensive line is superior to the Seahawks' line.

The good news?

ESPN.com's Michael Rothstein pointed out the Lions set an NFL record this season by allowing opposing quarterbacks to complete 72.7 percent of passes against them. It broke a record established by another team coached by Jim Caldwell -- the 2011 Indianapolis Colts. They allowed opposing quarterbacks to complete 71.2 percent of passes against them.

The Lions were a full percentage point worse.

Now, the Lions have to face one of the game's more accurate quarterbacks in the playoffs in Wilson, who has completed at least 63 percent of his passes in every season of his career -- including the above-mentioned 64.7 percent this season.

Unlike many other quarterbacks Detroit has faced, the rushing potential for Wilson is something that makes him even more dangerous.

"You just have to get them down enough times," Caldwell said. "We just didn't get him down enough times. You're not going to completely stop Russell Wilson. No one has at this point throughout his career.

"So you've just got to get him down enough times to be able to stall the drives and be able to answer with points. That's the real key."

And the last time the Lions faced Wilson, he was insanely accurate against Detroit. He completed 20 of 26 passes (76.9 percent) against the Lions last season in a nationally televised Monday night game in Week 4. He also took more shots downfield in that game than others, averaging 11.04 yards per attempt and 7.46 yards per dropback against Detroit.

The way the Lions have played against opposing quarterbacks this season, though, that would be close to average.

As for the run?

According to ESPN Stats and Information, from 2012 to 2015, the Seahawks had nine games in which they failed to rush for 100 yards. That happened in 10 of 16 games during the 2016 regular season.

Against a shaky 49ers run defense, the Seahawks totaled just 87 yards on 25 carries. Thomas Rawls has battled through injuries and struggled to build from his rookie season, finishing with 349 rushing yards on 109 attempts (3.20 yards per carry).

Wilson's 259 rushing yards are the lowest total of his career. The run-blocking has been an issue throughout the season.

The Lions rank 22nd against the run, according to Football Outsiders. The Packers ran for 153 yards against them and averaged 4.9 yards per carry.

The Seahawks want to find balance whenever they can, but at this point, they know the run game is not the strength it has been in previous years.

Meanwhile, head coach Pete Carroll said on Monday that rookie running back C.J. Prosise, who has missed the last six games with a fractured scapula is "getting close now," though it sounds like a return this week is not in the cards.

But if the Seahawks advance to face the Atlanta Falcons next week, Prosise will have a chance of being available.

"A very encouraging report today," Carroll said on Tuesday. "He had a CT scan that was really positive. He's working hard and running hard. We're going to see what happens. If we have the good fortune of winning this week, we'll take a look at next week. He's going to run really hard this week with the thought that he's going to practice next week. If we can give him that opportunity it would be great."

The Seahawks will have a new long snapper for Saturday night's Wild Card game against the Lions.

The team announced on Tuesday that they have placed Nolan Frese on injured reserve as a result of the ankle injury that he suffered in Week 17. Frese played the entire game, but had a bad snap that went over punter Jon Ryan's head for a safety in the third quarter of the 25-23 victory.

"He couldn't run at all, so he was just clomping around on a totally casted foot to get through the game," Carroll said of Frese.

Seattle signed Tyler Ott to take Frese's place on the roster and take over the snapping duties. Ott played three games for the Bengals earlier this season and saw action in one game for the Giants last year.

It's not the only issue Seattle's special teams have had. Frese has had poor snaps while healthy too. Kicker Steven Hauschka has missed 10 kicks this year -- six extra points and four field goals -- and six of the misses were due to blocked kicks.

"There's just some funky kicks we've made," Carroll said. "(Hauschka) hit four great field goals yesterday and did a great job but there was an extra point that was low.

Also. ... Veteran return man Devin Hester is signing with the Seahawks for the playoffs, Jay Glazer of FOXSports first reported Tuesday night.

The Ravens cut Hester, 34, in December. He handled their return duties for 12 games this season.

The Seahawks needed a returner after losing speedy second-year man Tyler Lockett to a Week 16 broken leg. They open the playoffs Saturday night vs. the Lions.

Hester is a four-time Pro Bowler and a three time first-team All-Pro. He played eight seasons for the Bears and the last two for the Falcons before signing with the Ravens in September.


DEPTH CHART
QBs: Derek Carr, Jake Haener
RBs: Alvin Kamara, Jamaal Williams, Kendre Miller
WRs: Chris Olave, Rashid Shaheed, A.T. Perry, Keith Kirkwood, Lynn Bowden, Michael Thomas
TEs: Juwan Johnson, Taysom Hill, Foster Moreau, Jimmy Graham

New York Giants

 Compiled by FootballDiehards Editor Bob Harris | Updated 4 January 2017

The Seattle Seahawks enter the postseason as the No. 3 seed in the NFC and will host the Detroit Lions on Saturday at CenturyLink Field.

The passing attack has been inconsistent for much of the season, but if the Seahawks are going to go on a playoff run, ESPN.com's Sheil Kapadia believes this is where they'll have to make up for deficiencies elsewhere.

Russell Wilson suffered three injuries in the first six games of the season and has never looked completely healthy. He deserves credit for the work he put in to stay on the field (Wilson didn't miss a start) and still completed 64.7 percent of his passes while averaging 7.73 yards per attempt with 21 touchdowns and 11 interceptions.

His favorite targets -- Doug Baldwin (94 catches, 1,128 yards, seven touchdowns) and Jimmy Graham (65 catches, 923 yards, six touchdowns) -- both had great seasons and will present matchup problems against a Lions defense that went into Week 17 allowing opposing quarterbacks to complete a league-high 72.9 percent of their passes.

Pass protection is always a question with the Seahawks, but the Lions produced pressure on just 19.8 percent of their opponents' dropbacks, the worst percentage in the NFL. Detroit's sack percentage (4.6) ranked 29th. The Lions had one sack and four hits on Aaron Rodgers on Sunday, but the Green Bay Packers' offensive line is superior to the Seahawks' line.

The good news?

ESPN.com's Michael Rothstein pointed out the Lions set an NFL record this season by allowing opposing quarterbacks to complete 72.7 percent of passes against them. It broke a record established by another team coached by Jim Caldwell -- the 2011 Indianapolis Colts. They allowed opposing quarterbacks to complete 71.2 percent of passes against them.

The Lions were a full percentage point worse.

Now, the Lions have to face one of the game's more accurate quarterbacks in the playoffs in Wilson, who has completed at least 63 percent of his passes in every season of his career -- including the above-mentioned 64.7 percent this season.

Unlike many other quarterbacks Detroit has faced, the rushing potential for Wilson is something that makes him even more dangerous.

"You just have to get them down enough times," Caldwell said. "We just didn't get him down enough times. You're not going to completely stop Russell Wilson. No one has at this point throughout his career.

"So you've just got to get him down enough times to be able to stall the drives and be able to answer with points. That's the real key."

And the last time the Lions faced Wilson, he was insanely accurate against Detroit. He completed 20 of 26 passes (76.9 percent) against the Lions last season in a nationally televised Monday night game in Week 4. He also took more shots downfield in that game than others, averaging 11.04 yards per attempt and 7.46 yards per dropback against Detroit.

The way the Lions have played against opposing quarterbacks this season, though, that would be close to average.

As for the run?

According to ESPN Stats and Information, from 2012 to 2015, the Seahawks had nine games in which they failed to rush for 100 yards. That happened in 10 of 16 games during the 2016 regular season.

Against a shaky 49ers run defense, the Seahawks totaled just 87 yards on 25 carries. Thomas Rawls has battled through injuries and struggled to build from his rookie season, finishing with 349 rushing yards on 109 attempts (3.20 yards per carry).

Wilson's 259 rushing yards are the lowest total of his career. The run-blocking has been an issue throughout the season.

The Lions rank 22nd against the run, according to Football Outsiders. The Packers ran for 153 yards against them and averaged 4.9 yards per carry.

The Seahawks want to find balance whenever they can, but at this point, they know the run game is not the strength it has been in previous years.

Meanwhile, head coach Pete Carroll said on Monday that rookie running back C.J. Prosise, who has missed the last six games with a fractured scapula is "getting close now," though it sounds like a return this week is not in the cards.

But if the Seahawks advance to face the Atlanta Falcons next week, Prosise will have a chance of being available.

"A very encouraging report today," Carroll said on Tuesday. "He had a CT scan that was really positive. He's working hard and running hard. We're going to see what happens. If we have the good fortune of winning this week, we'll take a look at next week. He's going to run really hard this week with the thought that he's going to practice next week. If we can give him that opportunity it would be great."

The Seahawks will have a new long snapper for Saturday night's Wild Card game against the Lions.

The team announced on Tuesday that they have placed Nolan Frese on injured reserve as a result of the ankle injury that he suffered in Week 17. Frese played the entire game, but had a bad snap that went over punter Jon Ryan's head for a safety in the third quarter of the 25-23 victory.

"He couldn't run at all, so he was just clomping around on a totally casted foot to get through the game," Carroll said of Frese.

Seattle signed Tyler Ott to take Frese's place on the roster and take over the snapping duties. Ott played three games for the Bengals earlier this season and saw action in one game for the Giants last year.

It's not the only issue Seattle's special teams have had. Frese has had poor snaps while healthy too. Kicker Steven Hauschka has missed 10 kicks this year -- six extra points and four field goals -- and six of the misses were due to blocked kicks.

"There's just some funky kicks we've made," Carroll said. "(Hauschka) hit four great field goals yesterday and did a great job but there was an extra point that was low.

Also. ... Veteran return man Devin Hester is signing with the Seahawks for the playoffs, Jay Glazer of FOXSports first reported Tuesday night.

The Ravens cut Hester, 34, in December. He handled their return duties for 12 games this season.

The Seahawks needed a returner after losing speedy second-year man Tyler Lockett to a Week 16 broken leg. They open the playoffs Saturday night vs. the Lions.

Hester is a four-time Pro Bowler and a three time first-team All-Pro. He played eight seasons for the Bears and the last two for the Falcons before signing with the Ravens in September.


DEPTH CHART
QBs: Tommy DeVito, Drew Lock, Daniel Jones
RBs: Devin Singletary, Matt Breida, Gary Brightwell, Eric Gray
WRs: Darius Slayton, Wan'Dale Robinson, Jalin Hyatt, Parris Campbell, Isaiah Hodgins, Sterling Shepard
TEs: Darren Waller, Daniel Bellinger, Lawrence Cager, Chris Myarick

New York Jets

 Compiled by FootballDiehards Editor Bob Harris | Updated 4 January 2017

The Seattle Seahawks enter the postseason as the No. 3 seed in the NFC and will host the Detroit Lions on Saturday at CenturyLink Field.

The passing attack has been inconsistent for much of the season, but if the Seahawks are going to go on a playoff run, ESPN.com's Sheil Kapadia believes this is where they'll have to make up for deficiencies elsewhere.

Russell Wilson suffered three injuries in the first six games of the season and has never looked completely healthy. He deserves credit for the work he put in to stay on the field (Wilson didn't miss a start) and still completed 64.7 percent of his passes while averaging 7.73 yards per attempt with 21 touchdowns and 11 interceptions.

His favorite targets -- Doug Baldwin (94 catches, 1,128 yards, seven touchdowns) and Jimmy Graham (65 catches, 923 yards, six touchdowns) -- both had great seasons and will present matchup problems against a Lions defense that went into Week 17 allowing opposing quarterbacks to complete a league-high 72.9 percent of their passes.

Pass protection is always a question with the Seahawks, but the Lions produced pressure on just 19.8 percent of their opponents' dropbacks, the worst percentage in the NFL. Detroit's sack percentage (4.6) ranked 29th. The Lions had one sack and four hits on Aaron Rodgers on Sunday, but the Green Bay Packers' offensive line is superior to the Seahawks' line.

The good news?

ESPN.com's Michael Rothstein pointed out the Lions set an NFL record this season by allowing opposing quarterbacks to complete 72.7 percent of passes against them. It broke a record established by another team coached by Jim Caldwell -- the 2011 Indianapolis Colts. They allowed opposing quarterbacks to complete 71.2 percent of passes against them.

The Lions were a full percentage point worse.

Now, the Lions have to face one of the game's more accurate quarterbacks in the playoffs in Wilson, who has completed at least 63 percent of his passes in every season of his career -- including the above-mentioned 64.7 percent this season.

Unlike many other quarterbacks Detroit has faced, the rushing potential for Wilson is something that makes him even more dangerous.

"You just have to get them down enough times," Caldwell said. "We just didn't get him down enough times. You're not going to completely stop Russell Wilson. No one has at this point throughout his career.

"So you've just got to get him down enough times to be able to stall the drives and be able to answer with points. That's the real key."

And the last time the Lions faced Wilson, he was insanely accurate against Detroit. He completed 20 of 26 passes (76.9 percent) against the Lions last season in a nationally televised Monday night game in Week 4. He also took more shots downfield in that game than others, averaging 11.04 yards per attempt and 7.46 yards per dropback against Detroit.

The way the Lions have played against opposing quarterbacks this season, though, that would be close to average.

As for the run?

According to ESPN Stats and Information, from 2012 to 2015, the Seahawks had nine games in which they failed to rush for 100 yards. That happened in 10 of 16 games during the 2016 regular season.

Against a shaky 49ers run defense, the Seahawks totaled just 87 yards on 25 carries. Thomas Rawls has battled through injuries and struggled to build from his rookie season, finishing with 349 rushing yards on 109 attempts (3.20 yards per carry).

Wilson's 259 rushing yards are the lowest total of his career. The run-blocking has been an issue throughout the season.

The Lions rank 22nd against the run, according to Football Outsiders. The Packers ran for 153 yards against them and averaged 4.9 yards per carry.

The Seahawks want to find balance whenever they can, but at this point, they know the run game is not the strength it has been in previous years.

Meanwhile, head coach Pete Carroll said on Monday that rookie running back C.J. Prosise, who has missed the last six games with a fractured scapula is "getting close now," though it sounds like a return this week is not in the cards.

But if the Seahawks advance to face the Atlanta Falcons next week, Prosise will have a chance of being available.

"A very encouraging report today," Carroll said on Tuesday. "He had a CT scan that was really positive. He's working hard and running hard. We're going to see what happens. If we have the good fortune of winning this week, we'll take a look at next week. He's going to run really hard this week with the thought that he's going to practice next week. If we can give him that opportunity it would be great."

The Seahawks will have a new long snapper for Saturday night's Wild Card game against the Lions.

The team announced on Tuesday that they have placed Nolan Frese on injured reserve as a result of the ankle injury that he suffered in Week 17. Frese played the entire game, but had a bad snap that went over punter Jon Ryan's head for a safety in the third quarter of the 25-23 victory.

"He couldn't run at all, so he was just clomping around on a totally casted foot to get through the game," Carroll said of Frese.

Seattle signed Tyler Ott to take Frese's place on the roster and take over the snapping duties. Ott played three games for the Bengals earlier this season and saw action in one game for the Giants last year.

It's not the only issue Seattle's special teams have had. Frese has had poor snaps while healthy too. Kicker Steven Hauschka has missed 10 kicks this year -- six extra points and four field goals -- and six of the misses were due to blocked kicks.

"There's just some funky kicks we've made," Carroll said. "(Hauschka) hit four great field goals yesterday and did a great job but there was an extra point that was low.

Also. ... Veteran return man Devin Hester is signing with the Seahawks for the playoffs, Jay Glazer of FOXSports first reported Tuesday night.

The Ravens cut Hester, 34, in December. He handled their return duties for 12 games this season.

The Seahawks needed a returner after losing speedy second-year man Tyler Lockett to a Week 16 broken leg. They open the playoffs Saturday night vs. the Lions.

Hester is a four-time Pro Bowler and a three time first-team All-Pro. He played eight seasons for the Bears and the last two for the Falcons before signing with the Ravens in September.


DEPTH CHART
QBs: Trevor Siemian, Tyrod Taylor, Aaron Rodgers
RBs: Breece Hall, Israel Abanikanda
WRs: Garrett Wilson, Xavier Gipson, Jason Brownlee, Allen Lazard, Randall Cobb, Mike Williams, Charles Irvin
TEs: Tyler Conklin, Jeremy Ruckert, C.J. Uzomah, Kenny Yeboah

Oakland Raiders

 Compiled by FootballDiehards Editor Bob Harris | Updated 4 January 2017

The Seattle Seahawks enter the postseason as the No. 3 seed in the NFC and will host the Detroit Lions on Saturday at CenturyLink Field.

The passing attack has been inconsistent for much of the season, but if the Seahawks are going to go on a playoff run, ESPN.com's Sheil Kapadia believes this is where they'll have to make up for deficiencies elsewhere.

Russell Wilson suffered three injuries in the first six games of the season and has never looked completely healthy. He deserves credit for the work he put in to stay on the field (Wilson didn't miss a start) and still completed 64.7 percent of his passes while averaging 7.73 yards per attempt with 21 touchdowns and 11 interceptions.

His favorite targets -- Doug Baldwin (94 catches, 1,128 yards, seven touchdowns) and Jimmy Graham (65 catches, 923 yards, six touchdowns) -- both had great seasons and will present matchup problems against a Lions defense that went into Week 17 allowing opposing quarterbacks to complete a league-high 72.9 percent of their passes.

Pass protection is always a question with the Seahawks, but the Lions produced pressure on just 19.8 percent of their opponents' dropbacks, the worst percentage in the NFL. Detroit's sack percentage (4.6) ranked 29th. The Lions had one sack and four hits on Aaron Rodgers on Sunday, but the Green Bay Packers' offensive line is superior to the Seahawks' line.

The good news?

ESPN.com's Michael Rothstein pointed out the Lions set an NFL record this season by allowing opposing quarterbacks to complete 72.7 percent of passes against them. It broke a record established by another team coached by Jim Caldwell -- the 2011 Indianapolis Colts. They allowed opposing quarterbacks to complete 71.2 percent of passes against them.

The Lions were a full percentage point worse.

Now, the Lions have to face one of the game's more accurate quarterbacks in the playoffs in Wilson, who has completed at least 63 percent of his passes in every season of his career -- including the above-mentioned 64.7 percent this season.

Unlike many other quarterbacks Detroit has faced, the rushing potential for Wilson is something that makes him even more dangerous.

"You just have to get them down enough times," Caldwell said. "We just didn't get him down enough times. You're not going to completely stop Russell Wilson. No one has at this point throughout his career.

"So you've just got to get him down enough times to be able to stall the drives and be able to answer with points. That's the real key."

And the last time the Lions faced Wilson, he was insanely accurate against Detroit. He completed 20 of 26 passes (76.9 percent) against the Lions last season in a nationally televised Monday night game in Week 4. He also took more shots downfield in that game than others, averaging 11.04 yards per attempt and 7.46 yards per dropback against Detroit.

The way the Lions have played against opposing quarterbacks this season, though, that would be close to average.

As for the run?

According to ESPN Stats and Information, from 2012 to 2015, the Seahawks had nine games in which they failed to rush for 100 yards. That happened in 10 of 16 games during the 2016 regular season.

Against a shaky 49ers run defense, the Seahawks totaled just 87 yards on 25 carries. Thomas Rawls has battled through injuries and struggled to build from his rookie season, finishing with 349 rushing yards on 109 attempts (3.20 yards per carry).

Wilson's 259 rushing yards are the lowest total of his career. The run-blocking has been an issue throughout the season.

The Lions rank 22nd against the run, according to Football Outsiders. The Packers ran for 153 yards against them and averaged 4.9 yards per carry.

The Seahawks want to find balance whenever they can, but at this point, they know the run game is not the strength it has been in previous years.

Meanwhile, head coach Pete Carroll said on Monday that rookie running back C.J. Prosise, who has missed the last six games with a fractured scapula is "getting close now," though it sounds like a return this week is not in the cards.

But if the Seahawks advance to face the Atlanta Falcons next week, Prosise will have a chance of being available.

"A very encouraging report today," Carroll said on Tuesday. "He had a CT scan that was really positive. He's working hard and running hard. We're going to see what happens. If we have the good fortune of winning this week, we'll take a look at next week. He's going to run really hard this week with the thought that he's going to practice next week. If we can give him that opportunity it would be great."

The Seahawks will have a new long snapper for Saturday night's Wild Card game against the Lions.

The team announced on Tuesday that they have placed Nolan Frese on injured reserve as a result of the ankle injury that he suffered in Week 17. Frese played the entire game, but had a bad snap that went over punter Jon Ryan's head for a safety in the third quarter of the 25-23 victory.

"He couldn't run at all, so he was just clomping around on a totally casted foot to get through the game," Carroll said of Frese.

Seattle signed Tyler Ott to take Frese's place on the roster and take over the snapping duties. Ott played three games for the Bengals earlier this season and saw action in one game for the Giants last year.

It's not the only issue Seattle's special teams have had. Frese has had poor snaps while healthy too. Kicker Steven Hauschka has missed 10 kicks this year -- six extra points and four field goals -- and six of the misses were due to blocked kicks.

"There's just some funky kicks we've made," Carroll said. "(Hauschka) hit four great field goals yesterday and did a great job but there was an extra point that was low.

Also. ... Veteran return man Devin Hester is signing with the Seahawks for the playoffs, Jay Glazer of FOXSports first reported Tuesday night.

The Ravens cut Hester, 34, in December. He handled their return duties for 12 games this season.

The Seahawks needed a returner after losing speedy second-year man Tyler Lockett to a Week 16 broken leg. They open the playoffs Saturday night vs. the Lions.

Hester is a four-time Pro Bowler and a three time first-team All-Pro. He played eight seasons for the Bears and the last two for the Falcons before signing with the Ravens in September.


DEPTH CHART
QBs: Aidan O'Connell, Gardner Minshew, Brian Hoyer
RBs: Alexander Mattison, Zamir White, Ameer Abdullah, Brandon Bolden
WRs: Davante Adams, Jakobi Meyers, Tre Tucker, Hunter Renfrow, DeAndre Carter, Kristian Wilkerson
TEs: Michael Mayer, Austin Hooper, Jesper Horsted

Philadelphia Eagles

 Compiled by FootballDiehards Editor Bob Harris | Updated 4 January 2017

The Seattle Seahawks enter the postseason as the No. 3 seed in the NFC and will host the Detroit Lions on Saturday at CenturyLink Field.

The passing attack has been inconsistent for much of the season, but if the Seahawks are going to go on a playoff run, ESPN.com's Sheil Kapadia believes this is where they'll have to make up for deficiencies elsewhere.

Russell Wilson suffered three injuries in the first six games of the season and has never looked completely healthy. He deserves credit for the work he put in to stay on the field (Wilson didn't miss a start) and still completed 64.7 percent of his passes while averaging 7.73 yards per attempt with 21 touchdowns and 11 interceptions.

His favorite targets -- Doug Baldwin (94 catches, 1,128 yards, seven touchdowns) and Jimmy Graham (65 catches, 923 yards, six touchdowns) -- both had great seasons and will present matchup problems against a Lions defense that went into Week 17 allowing opposing quarterbacks to complete a league-high 72.9 percent of their passes.

Pass protection is always a question with the Seahawks, but the Lions produced pressure on just 19.8 percent of their opponents' dropbacks, the worst percentage in the NFL. Detroit's sack percentage (4.6) ranked 29th. The Lions had one sack and four hits on Aaron Rodgers on Sunday, but the Green Bay Packers' offensive line is superior to the Seahawks' line.

The good news?

ESPN.com's Michael Rothstein pointed out the Lions set an NFL record this season by allowing opposing quarterbacks to complete 72.7 percent of passes against them. It broke a record established by another team coached by Jim Caldwell -- the 2011 Indianapolis Colts. They allowed opposing quarterbacks to complete 71.2 percent of passes against them.

The Lions were a full percentage point worse.

Now, the Lions have to face one of the game's more accurate quarterbacks in the playoffs in Wilson, who has completed at least 63 percent of his passes in every season of his career -- including the above-mentioned 64.7 percent this season.

Unlike many other quarterbacks Detroit has faced, the rushing potential for Wilson is something that makes him even more dangerous.

"You just have to get them down enough times," Caldwell said. "We just didn't get him down enough times. You're not going to completely stop Russell Wilson. No one has at this point throughout his career.

"So you've just got to get him down enough times to be able to stall the drives and be able to answer with points. That's the real key."

And the last time the Lions faced Wilson, he was insanely accurate against Detroit. He completed 20 of 26 passes (76.9 percent) against the Lions last season in a nationally televised Monday night game in Week 4. He also took more shots downfield in that game than others, averaging 11.04 yards per attempt and 7.46 yards per dropback against Detroit.

The way the Lions have played against opposing quarterbacks this season, though, that would be close to average.

As for the run?

According to ESPN Stats and Information, from 2012 to 2015, the Seahawks had nine games in which they failed to rush for 100 yards. That happened in 10 of 16 games during the 2016 regular season.

Against a shaky 49ers run defense, the Seahawks totaled just 87 yards on 25 carries. Thomas Rawls has battled through injuries and struggled to build from his rookie season, finishing with 349 rushing yards on 109 attempts (3.20 yards per carry).

Wilson's 259 rushing yards are the lowest total of his career. The run-blocking has been an issue throughout the season.

The Lions rank 22nd against the run, according to Football Outsiders. The Packers ran for 153 yards against them and averaged 4.9 yards per carry.

The Seahawks want to find balance whenever they can, but at this point, they know the run game is not the strength it has been in previous years.

Meanwhile, head coach Pete Carroll said on Monday that rookie running back C.J. Prosise, who has missed the last six games with a fractured scapula is "getting close now," though it sounds like a return this week is not in the cards.

But if the Seahawks advance to face the Atlanta Falcons next week, Prosise will have a chance of being available.

"A very encouraging report today," Carroll said on Tuesday. "He had a CT scan that was really positive. He's working hard and running hard. We're going to see what happens. If we have the good fortune of winning this week, we'll take a look at next week. He's going to run really hard this week with the thought that he's going to practice next week. If we can give him that opportunity it would be great."

The Seahawks will have a new long snapper for Saturday night's Wild Card game against the Lions.

The team announced on Tuesday that they have placed Nolan Frese on injured reserve as a result of the ankle injury that he suffered in Week 17. Frese played the entire game, but had a bad snap that went over punter Jon Ryan's head for a safety in the third quarter of the 25-23 victory.

"He couldn't run at all, so he was just clomping around on a totally casted foot to get through the game," Carroll said of Frese.

Seattle signed Tyler Ott to take Frese's place on the roster and take over the snapping duties. Ott played three games for the Bengals earlier this season and saw action in one game for the Giants last year.

It's not the only issue Seattle's special teams have had. Frese has had poor snaps while healthy too. Kicker Steven Hauschka has missed 10 kicks this year -- six extra points and four field goals -- and six of the misses were due to blocked kicks.

"There's just some funky kicks we've made," Carroll said. "(Hauschka) hit four great field goals yesterday and did a great job but there was an extra point that was low.

Also. ... Veteran return man Devin Hester is signing with the Seahawks for the playoffs, Jay Glazer of FOXSports first reported Tuesday night.

The Ravens cut Hester, 34, in December. He handled their return duties for 12 games this season.

The Seahawks needed a returner after losing speedy second-year man Tyler Lockett to a Week 16 broken leg. They open the playoffs Saturday night vs. the Lions.

Hester is a four-time Pro Bowler and a three time first-team All-Pro. He played eight seasons for the Bears and the last two for the Falcons before signing with the Ravens in September.


DEPTH CHART
QBs: Jalen Hurts, Marcus Mariota, Kenny Pickett, Tanner McKee
RBs: Saquon Barkley, Kenneth Gainwell, Boston Scott, Rashaad Penny
WRs: A.J. Brown, DeVonta Smith, Julio Jones, Olamide Zaccheaus, Quez Watkins
TEs: Dallas Goedert, Jack Stoll, Grant Calcaterra, Albert Okwuegbunam

Pittsburgh Steelers

 Compiled by FootballDiehards Editor Bob Harris | Updated 4 January 2017

The Seattle Seahawks enter the postseason as the No. 3 seed in the NFC and will host the Detroit Lions on Saturday at CenturyLink Field.

The passing attack has been inconsistent for much of the season, but if the Seahawks are going to go on a playoff run, ESPN.com's Sheil Kapadia believes this is where they'll have to make up for deficiencies elsewhere.

Russell Wilson suffered three injuries in the first six games of the season and has never looked completely healthy. He deserves credit for the work he put in to stay on the field (Wilson didn't miss a start) and still completed 64.7 percent of his passes while averaging 7.73 yards per attempt with 21 touchdowns and 11 interceptions.

His favorite targets -- Doug Baldwin (94 catches, 1,128 yards, seven touchdowns) and Jimmy Graham (65 catches, 923 yards, six touchdowns) -- both had great seasons and will present matchup problems against a Lions defense that went into Week 17 allowing opposing quarterbacks to complete a league-high 72.9 percent of their passes.

Pass protection is always a question with the Seahawks, but the Lions produced pressure on just 19.8 percent of their opponents' dropbacks, the worst percentage in the NFL. Detroit's sack percentage (4.6) ranked 29th. The Lions had one sack and four hits on Aaron Rodgers on Sunday, but the Green Bay Packers' offensive line is superior to the Seahawks' line.

The good news?

ESPN.com's Michael Rothstein pointed out the Lions set an NFL record this season by allowing opposing quarterbacks to complete 72.7 percent of passes against them. It broke a record established by another team coached by Jim Caldwell -- the 2011 Indianapolis Colts. They allowed opposing quarterbacks to complete 71.2 percent of passes against them.

The Lions were a full percentage point worse.

Now, the Lions have to face one of the game's more accurate quarterbacks in the playoffs in Wilson, who has completed at least 63 percent of his passes in every season of his career -- including the above-mentioned 64.7 percent this season.

Unlike many other quarterbacks Detroit has faced, the rushing potential for Wilson is something that makes him even more dangerous.

"You just have to get them down enough times," Caldwell said. "We just didn't get him down enough times. You're not going to completely stop Russell Wilson. No one has at this point throughout his career.

"So you've just got to get him down enough times to be able to stall the drives and be able to answer with points. That's the real key."

And the last time the Lions faced Wilson, he was insanely accurate against Detroit. He completed 20 of 26 passes (76.9 percent) against the Lions last season in a nationally televised Monday night game in Week 4. He also took more shots downfield in that game than others, averaging 11.04 yards per attempt and 7.46 yards per dropback against Detroit.

The way the Lions have played against opposing quarterbacks this season, though, that would be close to average.

As for the run?

According to ESPN Stats and Information, from 2012 to 2015, the Seahawks had nine games in which they failed to rush for 100 yards. That happened in 10 of 16 games during the 2016 regular season.

Against a shaky 49ers run defense, the Seahawks totaled just 87 yards on 25 carries. Thomas Rawls has battled through injuries and struggled to build from his rookie season, finishing with 349 rushing yards on 109 attempts (3.20 yards per carry).

Wilson's 259 rushing yards are the lowest total of his career. The run-blocking has been an issue throughout the season.

The Lions rank 22nd against the run, according to Football Outsiders. The Packers ran for 153 yards against them and averaged 4.9 yards per carry.

The Seahawks want to find balance whenever they can, but at this point, they know the run game is not the strength it has been in previous years.

Meanwhile, head coach Pete Carroll said on Monday that rookie running back C.J. Prosise, who has missed the last six games with a fractured scapula is "getting close now," though it sounds like a return this week is not in the cards.

But if the Seahawks advance to face the Atlanta Falcons next week, Prosise will have a chance of being available.

"A very encouraging report today," Carroll said on Tuesday. "He had a CT scan that was really positive. He's working hard and running hard. We're going to see what happens. If we have the good fortune of winning this week, we'll take a look at next week. He's going to run really hard this week with the thought that he's going to practice next week. If we can give him that opportunity it would be great."

The Seahawks will have a new long snapper for Saturday night's Wild Card game against the Lions.

The team announced on Tuesday that they have placed Nolan Frese on injured reserve as a result of the ankle injury that he suffered in Week 17. Frese played the entire game, but had a bad snap that went over punter Jon Ryan's head for a safety in the third quarter of the 25-23 victory.

"He couldn't run at all, so he was just clomping around on a totally casted foot to get through the game," Carroll said of Frese.

Seattle signed Tyler Ott to take Frese's place on the roster and take over the snapping duties. Ott played three games for the Bengals earlier this season and saw action in one game for the Giants last year.

It's not the only issue Seattle's special teams have had. Frese has had poor snaps while healthy too. Kicker Steven Hauschka has missed 10 kicks this year -- six extra points and four field goals -- and six of the misses were due to blocked kicks.

"There's just some funky kicks we've made," Carroll said. "(Hauschka) hit four great field goals yesterday and did a great job but there was an extra point that was low.

Also. ... Veteran return man Devin Hester is signing with the Seahawks for the playoffs, Jay Glazer of FOXSports first reported Tuesday night.

The Ravens cut Hester, 34, in December. He handled their return duties for 12 games this season.

The Seahawks needed a returner after losing speedy second-year man Tyler Lockett to a Week 16 broken leg. They open the playoffs Saturday night vs. the Lions.

Hester is a four-time Pro Bowler and a three time first-team All-Pro. He played eight seasons for the Bears and the last two for the Falcons before signing with the Ravens in September.


DEPTH CHART
QBs: Justin Fields, Russell Wilson, Mason Rudolph, Mitchell Trubisky
RBs: Najee Harris, Jaylen Warren, Anthony McFarland Jr.
WRs: George Pickens, Allen Robinson, Calvin Austin III, Miles Boykin
TEs: Pat Freiermuth, Darnell Washington

San Diego Chargers

 Compiled by FootballDiehards Editor Bob Harris | Updated 4 January 2017

The Seattle Seahawks enter the postseason as the No. 3 seed in the NFC and will host the Detroit Lions on Saturday at CenturyLink Field.

The passing attack has been inconsistent for much of the season, but if the Seahawks are going to go on a playoff run, ESPN.com's Sheil Kapadia believes this is where they'll have to make up for deficiencies elsewhere.

Russell Wilson suffered three injuries in the first six games of the season and has never looked completely healthy. He deserves credit for the work he put in to stay on the field (Wilson didn't miss a start) and still completed 64.7 percent of his passes while averaging 7.73 yards per attempt with 21 touchdowns and 11 interceptions.

His favorite targets -- Doug Baldwin (94 catches, 1,128 yards, seven touchdowns) and Jimmy Graham (65 catches, 923 yards, six touchdowns) -- both had great seasons and will present matchup problems against a Lions defense that went into Week 17 allowing opposing quarterbacks to complete a league-high 72.9 percent of their passes.

Pass protection is always a question with the Seahawks, but the Lions produced pressure on just 19.8 percent of their opponents' dropbacks, the worst percentage in the NFL. Detroit's sack percentage (4.6) ranked 29th. The Lions had one sack and four hits on Aaron Rodgers on Sunday, but the Green Bay Packers' offensive line is superior to the Seahawks' line.

The good news?

ESPN.com's Michael Rothstein pointed out the Lions set an NFL record this season by allowing opposing quarterbacks to complete 72.7 percent of passes against them. It broke a record established by another team coached by Jim Caldwell -- the 2011 Indianapolis Colts. They allowed opposing quarterbacks to complete 71.2 percent of passes against them.

The Lions were a full percentage point worse.

Now, the Lions have to face one of the game's more accurate quarterbacks in the playoffs in Wilson, who has completed at least 63 percent of his passes in every season of his career -- including the above-mentioned 64.7 percent this season.

Unlike many other quarterbacks Detroit has faced, the rushing potential for Wilson is something that makes him even more dangerous.

"You just have to get them down enough times," Caldwell said. "We just didn't get him down enough times. You're not going to completely stop Russell Wilson. No one has at this point throughout his career.

"So you've just got to get him down enough times to be able to stall the drives and be able to answer with points. That's the real key."

And the last time the Lions faced Wilson, he was insanely accurate against Detroit. He completed 20 of 26 passes (76.9 percent) against the Lions last season in a nationally televised Monday night game in Week 4. He also took more shots downfield in that game than others, averaging 11.04 yards per attempt and 7.46 yards per dropback against Detroit.

The way the Lions have played against opposing quarterbacks this season, though, that would be close to average.

As for the run?

According to ESPN Stats and Information, from 2012 to 2015, the Seahawks had nine games in which they failed to rush for 100 yards. That happened in 10 of 16 games during the 2016 regular season.

Against a shaky 49ers run defense, the Seahawks totaled just 87 yards on 25 carries. Thomas Rawls has battled through injuries and struggled to build from his rookie season, finishing with 349 rushing yards on 109 attempts (3.20 yards per carry).

Wilson's 259 rushing yards are the lowest total of his career. The run-blocking has been an issue throughout the season.

The Lions rank 22nd against the run, according to Football Outsiders. The Packers ran for 153 yards against them and averaged 4.9 yards per carry.

The Seahawks want to find balance whenever they can, but at this point, they know the run game is not the strength it has been in previous years.

Meanwhile, head coach Pete Carroll said on Monday that rookie running back C.J. Prosise, who has missed the last six games with a fractured scapula is "getting close now," though it sounds like a return this week is not in the cards.

But if the Seahawks advance to face the Atlanta Falcons next week, Prosise will have a chance of being available.

"A very encouraging report today," Carroll said on Tuesday. "He had a CT scan that was really positive. He's working hard and running hard. We're going to see what happens. If we have the good fortune of winning this week, we'll take a look at next week. He's going to run really hard this week with the thought that he's going to practice next week. If we can give him that opportunity it would be great."

The Seahawks will have a new long snapper for Saturday night's Wild Card game against the Lions.

The team announced on Tuesday that they have placed Nolan Frese on injured reserve as a result of the ankle injury that he suffered in Week 17. Frese played the entire game, but had a bad snap that went over punter Jon Ryan's head for a safety in the third quarter of the 25-23 victory.

"He couldn't run at all, so he was just clomping around on a totally casted foot to get through the game," Carroll said of Frese.

Seattle signed Tyler Ott to take Frese's place on the roster and take over the snapping duties. Ott played three games for the Bengals earlier this season and saw action in one game for the Giants last year.

It's not the only issue Seattle's special teams have had. Frese has had poor snaps while healthy too. Kicker Steven Hauschka has missed 10 kicks this year -- six extra points and four field goals -- and six of the misses were due to blocked kicks.

"There's just some funky kicks we've made," Carroll said. "(Hauschka) hit four great field goals yesterday and did a great job but there was an extra point that was low.

Also. ... Veteran return man Devin Hester is signing with the Seahawks for the playoffs, Jay Glazer of FOXSports first reported Tuesday night.

The Ravens cut Hester, 34, in December. He handled their return duties for 12 games this season.

The Seahawks needed a returner after losing speedy second-year man Tyler Lockett to a Week 16 broken leg. They open the playoffs Saturday night vs. the Lions.

Hester is a four-time Pro Bowler and a three time first-team All-Pro. He played eight seasons for the Bears and the last two for the Falcons before signing with the Ravens in September.


DEPTH CHART
QBs: Easton Stick, Justin Herbert
RBs: Gus Edwards, Joshua Kelley, Isaiah Spiller, Elijah Dotson, J.K. Dobbins
WRs: Josh Palmer, Quentin Johnston, Jalen Guyton, Derius Davis
TEs: Donald Parham, Stone Smartt

San Francisco 49ers

 Compiled by FootballDiehards Editor Bob Harris | Updated 4 January 2017

The Seattle Seahawks enter the postseason as the No. 3 seed in the NFC and will host the Detroit Lions on Saturday at CenturyLink Field.

The passing attack has been inconsistent for much of the season, but if the Seahawks are going to go on a playoff run, ESPN.com's Sheil Kapadia believes this is where they'll have to make up for deficiencies elsewhere.

Russell Wilson suffered three injuries in the first six games of the season and has never looked completely healthy. He deserves credit for the work he put in to stay on the field (Wilson didn't miss a start) and still completed 64.7 percent of his passes while averaging 7.73 yards per attempt with 21 touchdowns and 11 interceptions.

His favorite targets -- Doug Baldwin (94 catches, 1,128 yards, seven touchdowns) and Jimmy Graham (65 catches, 923 yards, six touchdowns) -- both had great seasons and will present matchup problems against a Lions defense that went into Week 17 allowing opposing quarterbacks to complete a league-high 72.9 percent of their passes.

Pass protection is always a question with the Seahawks, but the Lions produced pressure on just 19.8 percent of their opponents' dropbacks, the worst percentage in the NFL. Detroit's sack percentage (4.6) ranked 29th. The Lions had one sack and four hits on Aaron Rodgers on Sunday, but the Green Bay Packers' offensive line is superior to the Seahawks' line.

The good news?

ESPN.com's Michael Rothstein pointed out the Lions set an NFL record this season by allowing opposing quarterbacks to complete 72.7 percent of passes against them. It broke a record established by another team coached by Jim Caldwell -- the 2011 Indianapolis Colts. They allowed opposing quarterbacks to complete 71.2 percent of passes against them.

The Lions were a full percentage point worse.

Now, the Lions have to face one of the game's more accurate quarterbacks in the playoffs in Wilson, who has completed at least 63 percent of his passes in every season of his career -- including the above-mentioned 64.7 percent this season.

Unlike many other quarterbacks Detroit has faced, the rushing potential for Wilson is something that makes him even more dangerous.

"You just have to get them down enough times," Caldwell said. "We just didn't get him down enough times. You're not going to completely stop Russell Wilson. No one has at this point throughout his career.

"So you've just got to get him down enough times to be able to stall the drives and be able to answer with points. That's the real key."

And the last time the Lions faced Wilson, he was insanely accurate against Detroit. He completed 20 of 26 passes (76.9 percent) against the Lions last season in a nationally televised Monday night game in Week 4. He also took more shots downfield in that game than others, averaging 11.04 yards per attempt and 7.46 yards per dropback against Detroit.

The way the Lions have played against opposing quarterbacks this season, though, that would be close to average.

As for the run?

According to ESPN Stats and Information, from 2012 to 2015, the Seahawks had nine games in which they failed to rush for 100 yards. That happened in 10 of 16 games during the 2016 regular season.

Against a shaky 49ers run defense, the Seahawks totaled just 87 yards on 25 carries. Thomas Rawls has battled through injuries and struggled to build from his rookie season, finishing with 349 rushing yards on 109 attempts (3.20 yards per carry).

Wilson's 259 rushing yards are the lowest total of his career. The run-blocking has been an issue throughout the season.

The Lions rank 22nd against the run, according to Football Outsiders. The Packers ran for 153 yards against them and averaged 4.9 yards per carry.

The Seahawks want to find balance whenever they can, but at this point, they know the run game is not the strength it has been in previous years.

Meanwhile, head coach Pete Carroll said on Monday that rookie running back C.J. Prosise, who has missed the last six games with a fractured scapula is "getting close now," though it sounds like a return this week is not in the cards.

But if the Seahawks advance to face the Atlanta Falcons next week, Prosise will have a chance of being available.

"A very encouraging report today," Carroll said on Tuesday. "He had a CT scan that was really positive. He's working hard and running hard. We're going to see what happens. If we have the good fortune of winning this week, we'll take a look at next week. He's going to run really hard this week with the thought that he's going to practice next week. If we can give him that opportunity it would be great."

The Seahawks will have a new long snapper for Saturday night's Wild Card game against the Lions.

The team announced on Tuesday that they have placed Nolan Frese on injured reserve as a result of the ankle injury that he suffered in Week 17. Frese played the entire game, but had a bad snap that went over punter Jon Ryan's head for a safety in the third quarter of the 25-23 victory.

"He couldn't run at all, so he was just clomping around on a totally casted foot to get through the game," Carroll said of Frese.

Seattle signed Tyler Ott to take Frese's place on the roster and take over the snapping duties. Ott played three games for the Bengals earlier this season and saw action in one game for the Giants last year.

It's not the only issue Seattle's special teams have had. Frese has had poor snaps while healthy too. Kicker Steven Hauschka has missed 10 kicks this year -- six extra points and four field goals -- and six of the misses were due to blocked kicks.

"There's just some funky kicks we've made," Carroll said. "(Hauschka) hit four great field goals yesterday and did a great job but there was an extra point that was low.

Also. ... Veteran return man Devin Hester is signing with the Seahawks for the playoffs, Jay Glazer of FOXSports first reported Tuesday night.

The Ravens cut Hester, 34, in December. He handled their return duties for 12 games this season.

The Seahawks needed a returner after losing speedy second-year man Tyler Lockett to a Week 16 broken leg. They open the playoffs Saturday night vs. the Lions.

Hester is a four-time Pro Bowler and a three time first-team All-Pro. He played eight seasons for the Bears and the last two for the Falcons before signing with the Ravens in September.


DEPTH CHART
QBs: Brock Purdy, Josh Dobbs, Brandon Allen
RBs: Christian McCaffrey, Elijah Mitchell, Jordan Mason, Kyle Juszczyk
WRs: Brandon Aiyuk, Deebo Samuel, Jauan Jennings, Ray-Ray McCloud, Ronnie Bell, Danny Gray
TEs: George Kittle, Charlie Woerner, Brayden Willis, Ross Dwelley, Cameron Latu

Seattle Seahawks

 Compiled by FootballDiehards Editor Bob Harris | Updated 4 January 2017

The Seattle Seahawks enter the postseason as the No. 3 seed in the NFC and will host the Detroit Lions on Saturday at CenturyLink Field.

The passing attack has been inconsistent for much of the season, but if the Seahawks are going to go on a playoff run, ESPN.com's Sheil Kapadia believes this is where they'll have to make up for deficiencies elsewhere.

Russell Wilson suffered three injuries in the first six games of the season and has never looked completely healthy. He deserves credit for the work he put in to stay on the field (Wilson didn't miss a start) and still completed 64.7 percent of his passes while averaging 7.73 yards per attempt with 21 touchdowns and 11 interceptions.

His favorite targets -- Doug Baldwin (94 catches, 1,128 yards, seven touchdowns) and Jimmy Graham (65 catches, 923 yards, six touchdowns) -- both had great seasons and will present matchup problems against a Lions defense that went into Week 17 allowing opposing quarterbacks to complete a league-high 72.9 percent of their passes.

Pass protection is always a question with the Seahawks, but the Lions produced pressure on just 19.8 percent of their opponents' dropbacks, the worst percentage in the NFL. Detroit's sack percentage (4.6) ranked 29th. The Lions had one sack and four hits on Aaron Rodgers on Sunday, but the Green Bay Packers' offensive line is superior to the Seahawks' line.

The good news?

ESPN.com's Michael Rothstein pointed out the Lions set an NFL record this season by allowing opposing quarterbacks to complete 72.7 percent of passes against them. It broke a record established by another team coached by Jim Caldwell -- the 2011 Indianapolis Colts. They allowed opposing quarterbacks to complete 71.2 percent of passes against them.

The Lions were a full percentage point worse.

Now, the Lions have to face one of the game's more accurate quarterbacks in the playoffs in Wilson, who has completed at least 63 percent of his passes in every season of his career -- including the above-mentioned 64.7 percent this season.

Unlike many other quarterbacks Detroit has faced, the rushing potential for Wilson is something that makes him even more dangerous.

"You just have to get them down enough times," Caldwell said. "We just didn't get him down enough times. You're not going to completely stop Russell Wilson. No one has at this point throughout his career.

"So you've just got to get him down enough times to be able to stall the drives and be able to answer with points. That's the real key."

And the last time the Lions faced Wilson, he was insanely accurate against Detroit. He completed 20 of 26 passes (76.9 percent) against the Lions last season in a nationally televised Monday night game in Week 4. He also took more shots downfield in that game than others, averaging 11.04 yards per attempt and 7.46 yards per dropback against Detroit.

The way the Lions have played against opposing quarterbacks this season, though, that would be close to average.

As for the run?

According to ESPN Stats and Information, from 2012 to 2015, the Seahawks had nine games in which they failed to rush for 100 yards. That happened in 10 of 16 games during the 2016 regular season.

Against a shaky 49ers run defense, the Seahawks totaled just 87 yards on 25 carries. Thomas Rawls has battled through injuries and struggled to build from his rookie season, finishing with 349 rushing yards on 109 attempts (3.20 yards per carry).

Wilson's 259 rushing yards are the lowest total of his career. The run-blocking has been an issue throughout the season.

The Lions rank 22nd against the run, according to Football Outsiders. The Packers ran for 153 yards against them and averaged 4.9 yards per carry.

The Seahawks want to find balance whenever they can, but at this point, they know the run game is not the strength it has been in previous years.

Meanwhile, head coach Pete Carroll said on Monday that rookie running back C.J. Prosise, who has missed the last six games with a fractured scapula is "getting close now," though it sounds like a return this week is not in the cards.

But if the Seahawks advance to face the Atlanta Falcons next week, Prosise will have a chance of being available.

"A very encouraging report today," Carroll said on Tuesday. "He had a CT scan that was really positive. He's working hard and running hard. We're going to see what happens. If we have the good fortune of winning this week, we'll take a look at next week. He's going to run really hard this week with the thought that he's going to practice next week. If we can give him that opportunity it would be great."

The Seahawks will have a new long snapper for Saturday night's Wild Card game against the Lions.

The team announced on Tuesday that they have placed Nolan Frese on injured reserve as a result of the ankle injury that he suffered in Week 17. Frese played the entire game, but had a bad snap that went over punter Jon Ryan's head for a safety in the third quarter of the 25-23 victory.

"He couldn't run at all, so he was just clomping around on a totally casted foot to get through the game," Carroll said of Frese.

Seattle signed Tyler Ott to take Frese's place on the roster and take over the snapping duties. Ott played three games for the Bengals earlier this season and saw action in one game for the Giants last year.

It's not the only issue Seattle's special teams have had. Frese has had poor snaps while healthy too. Kicker Steven Hauschka has missed 10 kicks this year -- six extra points and four field goals -- and six of the misses were due to blocked kicks.

"There's just some funky kicks we've made," Carroll said. "(Hauschka) hit four great field goals yesterday and did a great job but there was an extra point that was low.

Also. ... Veteran return man Devin Hester is signing with the Seahawks for the playoffs, Jay Glazer of FOXSports first reported Tuesday night.

The Ravens cut Hester, 34, in December. He handled their return duties for 12 games this season.

The Seahawks needed a returner after losing speedy second-year man Tyler Lockett to a Week 16 broken leg. They open the playoffs Saturday night vs. the Lions.

Hester is a four-time Pro Bowler and a three time first-team All-Pro. He played eight seasons for the Bears and the last two for the Falcons before signing with the Ravens in September.


DEPTH CHART
QBs: Sam Howell, Geno Smith
RBs: Kenneth Walker III, Zach Charbonnet, DeeJay Dallas, Kenny McIntosh
WRs: DK Metcalf, Tyler Lockett, Jaxon Smith-Njigba, Jake Bobo, Cody Thompson, Dareke Young
TEs: Noah Fant, Will Dissly

Tampa Bay Buccaneers

 Compiled by FootballDiehards Editor Bob Harris | Updated 4 January 2017

The Seattle Seahawks enter the postseason as the No. 3 seed in the NFC and will host the Detroit Lions on Saturday at CenturyLink Field.

The passing attack has been inconsistent for much of the season, but if the Seahawks are going to go on a playoff run, ESPN.com's Sheil Kapadia believes this is where they'll have to make up for deficiencies elsewhere.

Russell Wilson suffered three injuries in the first six games of the season and has never looked completely healthy. He deserves credit for the work he put in to stay on the field (Wilson didn't miss a start) and still completed 64.7 percent of his passes while averaging 7.73 yards per attempt with 21 touchdowns and 11 interceptions.

His favorite targets -- Doug Baldwin (94 catches, 1,128 yards, seven touchdowns) and Jimmy Graham (65 catches, 923 yards, six touchdowns) -- both had great seasons and will present matchup problems against a Lions defense that went into Week 17 allowing opposing quarterbacks to complete a league-high 72.9 percent of their passes.

Pass protection is always a question with the Seahawks, but the Lions produced pressure on just 19.8 percent of their opponents' dropbacks, the worst percentage in the NFL. Detroit's sack percentage (4.6) ranked 29th. The Lions had one sack and four hits on Aaron Rodgers on Sunday, but the Green Bay Packers' offensive line is superior to the Seahawks' line.

The good news?

ESPN.com's Michael Rothstein pointed out the Lions set an NFL record this season by allowing opposing quarterbacks to complete 72.7 percent of passes against them. It broke a record established by another team coached by Jim Caldwell -- the 2011 Indianapolis Colts. They allowed opposing quarterbacks to complete 71.2 percent of passes against them.

The Lions were a full percentage point worse.

Now, the Lions have to face one of the game's more accurate quarterbacks in the playoffs in Wilson, who has completed at least 63 percent of his passes in every season of his career -- including the above-mentioned 64.7 percent this season.

Unlike many other quarterbacks Detroit has faced, the rushing potential for Wilson is something that makes him even more dangerous.

"You just have to get them down enough times," Caldwell said. "We just didn't get him down enough times. You're not going to completely stop Russell Wilson. No one has at this point throughout his career.

"So you've just got to get him down enough times to be able to stall the drives and be able to answer with points. That's the real key."

And the last time the Lions faced Wilson, he was insanely accurate against Detroit. He completed 20 of 26 passes (76.9 percent) against the Lions last season in a nationally televised Monday night game in Week 4. He also took more shots downfield in that game than others, averaging 11.04 yards per attempt and 7.46 yards per dropback against Detroit.

The way the Lions have played against opposing quarterbacks this season, though, that would be close to average.

As for the run?

According to ESPN Stats and Information, from 2012 to 2015, the Seahawks had nine games in which they failed to rush for 100 yards. That happened in 10 of 16 games during the 2016 regular season.

Against a shaky 49ers run defense, the Seahawks totaled just 87 yards on 25 carries. Thomas Rawls has battled through injuries and struggled to build from his rookie season, finishing with 349 rushing yards on 109 attempts (3.20 yards per carry).

Wilson's 259 rushing yards are the lowest total of his career. The run-blocking has been an issue throughout the season.

The Lions rank 22nd against the run, according to Football Outsiders. The Packers ran for 153 yards against them and averaged 4.9 yards per carry.

The Seahawks want to find balance whenever they can, but at this point, they know the run game is not the strength it has been in previous years.

Meanwhile, head coach Pete Carroll said on Monday that rookie running back C.J. Prosise, who has missed the last six games with a fractured scapula is "getting close now," though it sounds like a return this week is not in the cards.

But if the Seahawks advance to face the Atlanta Falcons next week, Prosise will have a chance of being available.

"A very encouraging report today," Carroll said on Tuesday. "He had a CT scan that was really positive. He's working hard and running hard. We're going to see what happens. If we have the good fortune of winning this week, we'll take a look at next week. He's going to run really hard this week with the thought that he's going to practice next week. If we can give him that opportunity it would be great."

The Seahawks will have a new long snapper for Saturday night's Wild Card game against the Lions.

The team announced on Tuesday that they have placed Nolan Frese on injured reserve as a result of the ankle injury that he suffered in Week 17. Frese played the entire game, but had a bad snap that went over punter Jon Ryan's head for a safety in the third quarter of the 25-23 victory.

"He couldn't run at all, so he was just clomping around on a totally casted foot to get through the game," Carroll said of Frese.

Seattle signed Tyler Ott to take Frese's place on the roster and take over the snapping duties. Ott played three games for the Bengals earlier this season and saw action in one game for the Giants last year.

It's not the only issue Seattle's special teams have had. Frese has had poor snaps while healthy too. Kicker Steven Hauschka has missed 10 kicks this year -- six extra points and four field goals -- and six of the misses were due to blocked kicks.

"There's just some funky kicks we've made," Carroll said. "(Hauschka) hit four great field goals yesterday and did a great job but there was an extra point that was low.

Also. ... Veteran return man Devin Hester is signing with the Seahawks for the playoffs, Jay Glazer of FOXSports first reported Tuesday night.

The Ravens cut Hester, 34, in December. He handled their return duties for 12 games this season.

The Seahawks needed a returner after losing speedy second-year man Tyler Lockett to a Week 16 broken leg. They open the playoffs Saturday night vs. the Lions.

Hester is a four-time Pro Bowler and a three time first-team All-Pro. He played eight seasons for the Bears and the last two for the Falcons before signing with the Ravens in September.


DEPTH CHART
QBs: Baker Mayfield, Kyle Trask
RBs: Rachaad White, Chase Edmonds, Sean Tucker, Ke'Shawn Vaughn
WRs: Mike Evans, Chris Godwin, Trey Palmer, Kaylon Geiger, Deven Thompkins, Rakim Jarrett, Russell Gage
TEs: Cade Otton, Ko Kieft, Payne Durham

Tennessee Titans

 Compiled by FootballDiehards Editor Bob Harris | Updated 4 January 2017

The Seattle Seahawks enter the postseason as the No. 3 seed in the NFC and will host the Detroit Lions on Saturday at CenturyLink Field.

The passing attack has been inconsistent for much of the season, but if the Seahawks are going to go on a playoff run, ESPN.com's Sheil Kapadia believes this is where they'll have to make up for deficiencies elsewhere.

Russell Wilson suffered three injuries in the first six games of the season and has never looked completely healthy. He deserves credit for the work he put in to stay on the field (Wilson didn't miss a start) and still completed 64.7 percent of his passes while averaging 7.73 yards per attempt with 21 touchdowns and 11 interceptions.

His favorite targets -- Doug Baldwin (94 catches, 1,128 yards, seven touchdowns) and Jimmy Graham (65 catches, 923 yards, six touchdowns) -- both had great seasons and will present matchup problems against a Lions defense that went into Week 17 allowing opposing quarterbacks to complete a league-high 72.9 percent of their passes.

Pass protection is always a question with the Seahawks, but the Lions produced pressure on just 19.8 percent of their opponents' dropbacks, the worst percentage in the NFL. Detroit's sack percentage (4.6) ranked 29th. The Lions had one sack and four hits on Aaron Rodgers on Sunday, but the Green Bay Packers' offensive line is superior to the Seahawks' line.

The good news?

ESPN.com's Michael Rothstein pointed out the Lions set an NFL record this season by allowing opposing quarterbacks to complete 72.7 percent of passes against them. It broke a record established by another team coached by Jim Caldwell -- the 2011 Indianapolis Colts. They allowed opposing quarterbacks to complete 71.2 percent of passes against them.

The Lions were a full percentage point worse.

Now, the Lions have to face one of the game's more accurate quarterbacks in the playoffs in Wilson, who has completed at least 63 percent of his passes in every season of his career -- including the above-mentioned 64.7 percent this season.

Unlike many other quarterbacks Detroit has faced, the rushing potential for Wilson is something that makes him even more dangerous.

"You just have to get them down enough times," Caldwell said. "We just didn't get him down enough times. You're not going to completely stop Russell Wilson. No one has at this point throughout his career.

"So you've just got to get him down enough times to be able to stall the drives and be able to answer with points. That's the real key."

And the last time the Lions faced Wilson, he was insanely accurate against Detroit. He completed 20 of 26 passes (76.9 percent) against the Lions last season in a nationally televised Monday night game in Week 4. He also took more shots downfield in that game than others, averaging 11.04 yards per attempt and 7.46 yards per dropback against Detroit.

The way the Lions have played against opposing quarterbacks this season, though, that would be close to average.

As for the run?

According to ESPN Stats and Information, from 2012 to 2015, the Seahawks had nine games in which they failed to rush for 100 yards. That happened in 10 of 16 games during the 2016 regular season.

Against a shaky 49ers run defense, the Seahawks totaled just 87 yards on 25 carries. Thomas Rawls has battled through injuries and struggled to build from his rookie season, finishing with 349 rushing yards on 109 attempts (3.20 yards per carry).

Wilson's 259 rushing yards are the lowest total of his career. The run-blocking has been an issue throughout the season.

The Lions rank 22nd against the run, according to Football Outsiders. The Packers ran for 153 yards against them and averaged 4.9 yards per carry.

The Seahawks want to find balance whenever they can, but at this point, they know the run game is not the strength it has been in previous years.

Meanwhile, head coach Pete Carroll said on Monday that rookie running back C.J. Prosise, who has missed the last six games with a fractured scapula is "getting close now," though it sounds like a return this week is not in the cards.

But if the Seahawks advance to face the Atlanta Falcons next week, Prosise will have a chance of being available.

"A very encouraging report today," Carroll said on Tuesday. "He had a CT scan that was really positive. He's working hard and running hard. We're going to see what happens. If we have the good fortune of winning this week, we'll take a look at next week. He's going to run really hard this week with the thought that he's going to practice next week. If we can give him that opportunity it would be great."

The Seahawks will have a new long snapper for Saturday night's Wild Card game against the Lions.

The team announced on Tuesday that they have placed Nolan Frese on injured reserve as a result of the ankle injury that he suffered in Week 17. Frese played the entire game, but had a bad snap that went over punter Jon Ryan's head for a safety in the third quarter of the 25-23 victory.

"He couldn't run at all, so he was just clomping around on a totally casted foot to get through the game," Carroll said of Frese.

Seattle signed Tyler Ott to take Frese's place on the roster and take over the snapping duties. Ott played three games for the Bengals earlier this season and saw action in one game for the Giants last year.

It's not the only issue Seattle's special teams have had. Frese has had poor snaps while healthy too. Kicker Steven Hauschka has missed 10 kicks this year -- six extra points and four field goals -- and six of the misses were due to blocked kicks.

"There's just some funky kicks we've made," Carroll said. "(Hauschka) hit four great field goals yesterday and did a great job but there was an extra point that was low.

Also. ... Veteran return man Devin Hester is signing with the Seahawks for the playoffs, Jay Glazer of FOXSports first reported Tuesday night.

The Ravens cut Hester, 34, in December. He handled their return duties for 12 games this season.

The Seahawks needed a returner after losing speedy second-year man Tyler Lockett to a Week 16 broken leg. They open the playoffs Saturday night vs. the Lions.

Hester is a four-time Pro Bowler and a three time first-team All-Pro. He played eight seasons for the Bears and the last two for the Falcons before signing with the Ravens in September.


DEPTH CHART
QBs: Will Levis, Malik Willis
RBs: Tony Pollard, Tyjae Spears, Julius Chestnut
WRs: Calvin Ridley, DeAndre Hopkins, Treylon Burks, Nick Westbrook_Ikhine, Tyler Boyd, Kyle Philips, Colton Dowell, Chris Moore
TEs: Chigoziem Okonkwo, Josh Whyle, Trevon Wesco

Washington Redskins

 Compiled by FootballDiehards Editor Bob Harris | Updated 4 January 2017

The Seattle Seahawks enter the postseason as the No. 3 seed in the NFC and will host the Detroit Lions on Saturday at CenturyLink Field.

The passing attack has been inconsistent for much of the season, but if the Seahawks are going to go on a playoff run, ESPN.com's Sheil Kapadia believes this is where they'll have to make up for deficiencies elsewhere.

Russell Wilson suffered three injuries in the first six games of the season and has never looked completely healthy. He deserves credit for the work he put in to stay on the field (Wilson didn't miss a start) and still completed 64.7 percent of his passes while averaging 7.73 yards per attempt with 21 touchdowns and 11 interceptions.

His favorite targets -- Doug Baldwin (94 catches, 1,128 yards, seven touchdowns) and Jimmy Graham (65 catches, 923 yards, six touchdowns) -- both had great seasons and will present matchup problems against a Lions defense that went into Week 17 allowing opposing quarterbacks to complete a league-high 72.9 percent of their passes.

Pass protection is always a question with the Seahawks, but the Lions produced pressure on just 19.8 percent of their opponents' dropbacks, the worst percentage in the NFL. Detroit's sack percentage (4.6) ranked 29th. The Lions had one sack and four hits on Aaron Rodgers on Sunday, but the Green Bay Packers' offensive line is superior to the Seahawks' line.

The good news?

ESPN.com's Michael Rothstein pointed out the Lions set an NFL record this season by allowing opposing quarterbacks to complete 72.7 percent of passes against them. It broke a record established by another team coached by Jim Caldwell -- the 2011 Indianapolis Colts. They allowed opposing quarterbacks to complete 71.2 percent of passes against them.

The Lions were a full percentage point worse.

Now, the Lions have to face one of the game's more accurate quarterbacks in the playoffs in Wilson, who has completed at least 63 percent of his passes in every season of his career -- including the above-mentioned 64.7 percent this season.

Unlike many other quarterbacks Detroit has faced, the rushing potential for Wilson is something that makes him even more dangerous.

"You just have to get them down enough times," Caldwell said. "We just didn't get him down enough times. You're not going to completely stop Russell Wilson. No one has at this point throughout his career.

"So you've just got to get him down enough times to be able to stall the drives and be able to answer with points. That's the real key."

And the last time the Lions faced Wilson, he was insanely accurate against Detroit. He completed 20 of 26 passes (76.9 percent) against the Lions last season in a nationally televised Monday night game in Week 4. He also took more shots downfield in that game than others, averaging 11.04 yards per attempt and 7.46 yards per dropback against Detroit.

The way the Lions have played against opposing quarterbacks this season, though, that would be close to average.

As for the run?

According to ESPN Stats and Information, from 2012 to 2015, the Seahawks had nine games in which they failed to rush for 100 yards. That happened in 10 of 16 games during the 2016 regular season.

Against a shaky 49ers run defense, the Seahawks totaled just 87 yards on 25 carries. Thomas Rawls has battled through injuries and struggled to build from his rookie season, finishing with 349 rushing yards on 109 attempts (3.20 yards per carry).

Wilson's 259 rushing yards are the lowest total of his career. The run-blocking has been an issue throughout the season.

The Lions rank 22nd against the run, according to Football Outsiders. The Packers ran for 153 yards against them and averaged 4.9 yards per carry.

The Seahawks want to find balance whenever they can, but at this point, they know the run game is not the strength it has been in previous years.

Meanwhile, head coach Pete Carroll said on Monday that rookie running back C.J. Prosise, who has missed the last six games with a fractured scapula is "getting close now," though it sounds like a return this week is not in the cards.

But if the Seahawks advance to face the Atlanta Falcons next week, Prosise will have a chance of being available.

"A very encouraging report today," Carroll said on Tuesday. "He had a CT scan that was really positive. He's working hard and running hard. We're going to see what happens. If we have the good fortune of winning this week, we'll take a look at next week. He's going to run really hard this week with the thought that he's going to practice next week. If we can give him that opportunity it would be great."

The Seahawks will have a new long snapper for Saturday night's Wild Card game against the Lions.

The team announced on Tuesday that they have placed Nolan Frese on injured reserve as a result of the ankle injury that he suffered in Week 17. Frese played the entire game, but had a bad snap that went over punter Jon Ryan's head for a safety in the third quarter of the 25-23 victory.

"He couldn't run at all, so he was just clomping around on a totally casted foot to get through the game," Carroll said of Frese.

Seattle signed Tyler Ott to take Frese's place on the roster and take over the snapping duties. Ott played three games for the Bengals earlier this season and saw action in one game for the Giants last year.

It's not the only issue Seattle's special teams have had. Frese has had poor snaps while healthy too. Kicker Steven Hauschka has missed 10 kicks this year -- six extra points and four field goals -- and six of the misses were due to blocked kicks.

"There's just some funky kicks we've made," Carroll said. "(Hauschka) hit four great field goals yesterday and did a great job but there was an extra point that was low.

Also. ... Veteran return man Devin Hester is signing with the Seahawks for the playoffs, Jay Glazer of FOXSports first reported Tuesday night.

The Ravens cut Hester, 34, in December. He handled their return duties for 12 games this season.

The Seahawks needed a returner after losing speedy second-year man Tyler Lockett to a Week 16 broken leg. They open the playoffs Saturday night vs. the Lions.

Hester is a four-time Pro Bowler and a three time first-team All-Pro. He played eight seasons for the Bears and the last two for the Falcons before signing with the Ravens in September.


DEPTH CHART
QBs:
RBs: Brian Robinson Jr., Austin Ekeler, Chris Rodriguez
WRs: Terry McLaurin, Jahan Dotson, Dyami Brown, Jamison Crowder, Byron Pringle, Mitchell Tinsley
TEs: Logan Thomas, Cole Turner, John Bates